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FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL 

A FULL SKETCH OF HER LIFE, 

WITH CHOICE SELECTIONS FROM HER 

PROSE AND POETICAL WRITINGS. 



WORKS OF REV. E. DAVIES. 

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST, and Select 
Sermons. Price, enamel paper covers, 50 cents; cloth, 80 cts. 
" It is just the book for the masses, and cannot fail to do good." 

— Bishop R. S. Foster. 

THE BELIEVER'S HANDBOOK ON HOLINESS. Con- 
taining eight Lectures. 12tno. Price, enamel paper, 25 cts.; 
cloth, 40 cents. 
" This is truly an excellent work. Most heartily do we commend 

it to all." — Airs. Phebe Palmer. 

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST AND BELIEV- 
ER'S HANDBOOK. In One volume. Cloth, $1. 

THE BOY PREACHER, or The Life and Labors of 
Rev. Thomas Harrison. Fine Steel Portrait. Price, $1, 
Enlarged Edition. 
" A wonderful record of God's marvellous works." 

GEMS AND PEARLS, for Parents and Children. 
For Family Reading and Sahhath Schools. Fine Steel En- 
graving. Price 75 cents. 
" Rev. E. Davies has collected a goodly number of Gems and 

Pearls. Many of them are severally worth the price of the book. 

Read it."— Dr. Foioler, in Nero York Christian Advocate. 

THE LAW OF HOLINESS, an Exposition of the 
Ten Commandments. Showing the relation of the Deca- 
logue to the Gospel and to the Moral Universe. Large 16mo. 
Price 75 cents. 

•' It is clear, sharp, and discriminating. It gives a practical 
application of the moral law to the duties of Christian life, and 
is a fresh presentation of this important subject." — Rev. J. A. 
Wood. 

DAILY FOOD FOR CHRISTIAN WORKERS. Price 
15 cents; gilt edges, 20 cents; paper, 10 cents. 
It is adapted to the highest experiences of Christian life. 
CONTRAST BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND IN- 
FIDELITY. A Book of Reference for Ministers and Christian 
Workers. Price, paper, 20 cents ; cloth, 40 cents. 
" This book is worthy of a place in any library." — Lutheran Ob- 
server. 

SELECTIONS FROM HARRIS' MAMMON. An in- 
valuable book. Price 10 cents. 

MEMOIRS AND JOURNAL OF MRS. HESTER ANN 
ROGERS. Condensed and combined. Price, cloth, 50 cents. 

HE LEADETH ME; or The Personal Narrative, 
Religious Experience and Christian Labor of Rev. E. 
Davies, Evangelist. With Steel Portrait. Price $1.0o. 
It is a life-portrait of an earnest and successful laborer. 

THE STORY OF BILLY "BRAY. By Mark Guy 
Pearse. Price 5 cents ; 50 cents per doz ; $3.50 per hundred. 

Any book sent by mail on receipt of price. 

HOLINESS BOOK CONCERN, Reading, Mass. 




fe 




6Zl/i**.£*<f t£ sr/a^^fStZ. 



FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL 



A FULL SKETCH OF HER LIFE, 



CHOICE SELECTIONS 



FROM HER 



PROSE AND POETICAL WRITINGS. 



By REV. E. DA VIES, Evangelist, 

AUTHOR OF "THE GIFT OF THE HOLY fiUQS TV" , "^^ iotrij's 
HANDBOOK," "THE BOY FREA< 







■She being dead yet spfeakcth." 



HOLINESS BOOK CONCERN, READING, MASS. 

Willard Tract Eepository, Beacon Hill Place, Boston, 239 Fourth 
Avenue, New York, 813 Arch Street, Philadelphia; McDonald & 
Gill, 36 Broiufield Street, Boston; Palmer & HUGHES, Bible 
House, New York; T. T. Tasker, 921 Arch Street, Phila- 
delphia; T. B. Arnold, 106 Franklin Street, Chicago. 
And Religious Booksellers Generally. 



Price Fifty Cents. 



Copyright, 1884, 
BY E. DAV1ES. 



/Z' 3 z9> 



DEDICATION. 



TO 
ALL WHO LOVE A PURE HEART AND A PURE LITERATURE 

Is this Volume Respectfully Dedicated 
BY THE AUTHOR, 



PREFACE. 



Tongue can never tell the good that has been 
done by the Episcopal Church. It has raised up 
some of the most learned and holy men and 
women that have ever blessed the world. Its 
Prayer Book and Litany are a standing benedic- 
tion ; a living monument of sound doctrine and 
Scriptural orthodoxy. It is an embodiment of 
sound speech that cannot be gainsaid, and of 
fervent prayers that cannot be offered in sincer- 
ity without profit ; and cannot be answered 
without such an absolute surrender of the soul 
to God, as will lead to that implicit faith that 
will bring the soul into a state of entire sanctifi- 
cation. 

I am happy to furnish the reader with a sketch 
of the life of an elegant Christian lady of that 
same Church, whose experience was exactly on 
this line. She obtained an answer to that beau- 
tiful prayer, " Cleanse Thou the thoughts of our 
hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that 
we may perfectly love Thee and worthily mag- 
nify Thy Holy Name." 

The last seven years of her life she lived in the 
experience of the following benediction: "May 
the peace of God which passeth all understand- 
ing, keep your hearts and minds in the know- 
ledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus 
Christ our Lord ; and the blessing of God 
Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
Ghost, be among you, and remain' with you 
always. Amen." 



Vlll PREFACE. 

She obtained this heavenly experience by the 
explicit consecration expressed in the sacrament- 
al prayer, "Here we offer and present unto 
Thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, 
to be a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice unto 
Thee." 

The substance of this book I have gathered 
from " The Memorials of Frances R. Havergal. 
By her Sister ; " also from her prose and poetical 
works. In this busy age there is a demand for 
small, incisive and substantial books, at a low 
price. To meet this demand, some time ago I 
condensed and combined the Memoirs and the 
Journal of Hester Ann Rogers, (who was also an 
Episcopal clergyman's daughter) , which is having 
a very ready sale. Now, in the providence of 
God, and at the request of some of my friends, 
I have, with great care, prepared this lively and 
deeply-interesting book, which I now offer to the 
public, trusting that the blessing of God will 
rest upon it, and that millions will be blest in 
reading it. My chief aim has been to give a full 
account of the religious experience and the deep- 
toned spirituality of Miss Havergal, with the 
hope that the readers will be persuaded to obtain 
alike precious experience. 

She was one of the noted women of her age, 
whose memory and writings will never perish. 

Reading, Mass., U. S. A., 1884. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 



Birth and early life. — Could read the Bible when four 
years old. — Her first rhymes. — Seeking a new • 
heart. —Mother's counsels. — Mother's death . Page 11 

CHAPTER II. 

No faith in her own righteousness. — Still seeking sal- 
vation. — Going from home to school. — Revival 
among the scholars. — Unutterable longing for God. 
— Light dawning. — Is truly converted. — Goes to 
Germany to attend school, and suffers persecution 21 

CHAPTER HI. 

Returns to England. — Confirmed in Worcester Cathe- 
dral. —Is greatly blessed. — Manuscript book of 
poems. — Great musical talent. — Visit to Ireland. — 
Great student of the Bible. — Her home-life. — Mus- 
ical memory. — In poor health. — Verse faculty 
given her,— God's crosses 30 

CHAPTER IV. 

Stamp of nobility upon her. — Great reverence for the 
Lord Jesus. — God's blessiug upon her hymns. — 
Appropriating the promises. — Free grace.— " Hid- 
den Leaves." — Her father's counsel and sympathy. 

— Her father's death. — " Havergal's Psalmody." — 
Thoughts from letters. — Goes to Switzerland. — 
Mont Blanc. — Personal peril 39 

CHAPTER V. 

Panting for heart purity. —Obtains the blessing of en- 
tire sanctification. — Sunless ravines forever passed. 

— Sanctification is progressive. — Explanatory let- 
ter. — No paring down of the promises or of the 
commands. — Winning souls. —All for Thee ... 50 

CHAPTER VI. 

Personal work. — Sanctification tested.— Stands the 
test. — Great simplicity of heart. — God gives her 
musical thoughts. — Every hour for God. — Ill health. 

— Special waiting time. — Musical vision. — Typhoid 
fever. — God's satisfied face. — Glorifying God in the 
fire. — Entire sanctification a reality. — Recovers 
slowly.— Her testimony and letter 63 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VII. 
Goes to Oakhampton.— Bible readings for Bervanta - 

Lamenting ami trusting not oompal Ible. - The ,'lis- 

tilling Jew.- Weight of glory. - Letter to E. J. w. 
— ;SUent to the Cord.— Blowly recovering — Half 
day's work for Jesus. -«« Shining" . . . . ... S4 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Tur 2Si 1 f2S > ?hr§ < ^ 0| - r:u '° :l » l > Rlory.-Heavy 
trial ana loss by flre.-Hpecial exercise of ouiet 
patience.— SanotlflcaUon still a reality andmSrhtV 
support. -Knoonraging letters -Brfehtnei? §£? 
mecT-Made too nmch 8 of.-Smptetfons^S self 
Beeking.-Readiog Shakespeare K? her personal 
damage — Trust ng an arm of flesh. -Fai&iSneas 
to friends.- Visiting schools and cottages . . t 95 

CHAPTER IX. 
Second visit to Switzerland— Laboring tor God - 
Blessed results. -Writing "My King"- Let m 
i JPontog;- The thoughts of god. - « Thy wuFbl 
done."-"Hitherto," ■• Henceforth." - P^t peace 109 

CHAPTER X. 
Her inner life revealed In her lot tors. — Faith an*™ 

lor Jesus. -"Increase our faith" . ...... 

CHAPTER XL 
Personal insufficiency— Divine help— "Take mv rfl- 
vVot; of »th. — Excessive labor. - Letters - 

CHAPTER XII. 

Literary f labors. -Character of her writings -«8tar 

Ugh ,tl"-ou^hUH'sluid,>ws/--.u)utli,H>soT ! Hlre.s t s'' 

-'• Royal Invitation."-" Royal bounty '-'' n. 

Responses." - " Set apart for Jesus^ Wti<2 . IM 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Still doing good. - Marvels of Love. - Parlor meeting 

-lam with you- Kept for the tSS^ST^l 

CHAPTER XIV. 

MV SSuhll ridS* T^-'F^ ™"™ labors.- Tri- 
S^JSfcz£^S»^--®>«to« death. - 



122 



140 



lf>3 



Burial. — " in memoriam' 



170 



FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL 

A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 



CHAPTER I. 

BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE. MOTHER'S DEATH. 

Frances Ridley Havergal, whose writ- 
ings have been made such a great blessing to 
the world, and whose religious experience 
was so rich and heavenly, was born at Astley, 
England, Pec. 14, 1836. She was the young- 
est daughter of Rev. Wm. II. and Jane 
Havergal. Her father was a distinguished 
minister of the Episcopal Church. Six; was 
baptized in Astley Church by Rev. John 
Cawood Jan. 25, 1837. She bore the name 
of Ridley in memory of the godly and learned 
Bishop Ridley, who was one of the noble 
army of mailyrs. 



12 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL, 

Ber Bister Miriam writes: — 

"My recollection of Frances begins with 
the first day of her life ; a pretty little babe 
even then, and by the time she reached two 
years of age, with her fair complexion, light 
curling hair, and bright expression, a prettier 
child was seldom seen. At thai age she 

spoke with perfect distinctness, and with 

greater fluency and variety of language than 
is usual in so young a child. She compre- 
hended and enjoyed any little stories that 
were told her. I remember her animated 
look of attention when the Rev. J. East told 

heraboul a little Mary who loved the Lord 
Jesus. Wo were all taught io read early, 
and to repeat, hy our dear mother; hut as 

I had now left school I undertook this charm- 
ing little pupil: teaching 1km- reading, spel- 
ling, ami a rhyme (generally one of Jane 
Taylor's), for half an hour every morning, 
and in the afternoon twenty or thirty stitches 
of patchwork, with a very short text to re- 
peat next morning at breakfast. When three 

years old, she could read easy hooks, and 
her brother Frank remembers how often she 
was found hiding under a table with some 

engrossing story." 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 13 

Sept. 21), 1879, Rev. F. Jeffrey writes to 
Miss HavergaVs sister: — 

"I well recollect Astley Rectory more 
than forty years ago. At that time your 
sister Frances was rather more than two 
years old, a very fairy-like creature. Her 
chief companion was then a white and tan 
spaniel, such as Landseer might have loved, 
and this little favorite she called Flora or 
Flo. At morning prayers she always sat on 
her father's knee while he read the Scriptures. 
It is likely that she learned to read as a mere 
pastime. I well remember her sweet infant 
voice singing little hymns in imitation of her 
father. Her nursemaid was recommended 
by Miss Cawood, from the Bewdley Sunday 
School. The day she was four years old her 
little maid brought her down after dinner to 
dessert, crowned with a wreath of bay-leaves. 
I shall never forget the picture ! She was 
her dear mother in miniature, especially in 
the brightness of her expression and the 
sparkle of her eye. A line from a classic 
poet was quoted exactly expressing this. I 
mention this as well remembering the great 
beauty of your dear mother." . . . 



11 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

« * When but four years of age she would 
read the Bible and any ordinary book cor- 
rectly, and had learned to write in round 
hand. French and music were gradually 
added, but great care was always taken not 
to tire her or excite the precocity of her 
mind, and she never had a regular governess." 

Her father took great delight in com- 
posing various pieces of music ; his first 
published musical composition was a setting 
of Bishop Heber's hymn, " From Greenland's 
icy mountains." He also composed cathedral 
services and hundreds of chants and tunes, 
and several sacred songs. 

The following is a specimen of Miss 
Frances' poetical genius at the age of seven 
years : — 

Sunday is a pleasant day, 

When we to church do go; 
For there we sing and read and pray, 

And hear the sermon too. 

On Sunday hear the village bells ; 

It seems as if they said, 
Go to the church where the pastor tells 

How Christ for man has bled. 

A nd if we love to pray and read 

While we are in our youth, 
The Lord will help us in our need 

And keep us in His truth. 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 15 

All her rhymes are dated, and also some 
simple tales, written in a eopybook for the 
benefit of her little nieee. She never kept a 
diary, but in 1859 she wrote an autobiog- 
raphy of her inner child-life, which was kept 
sealed till after her death. From this 1 
gather the following facts : — 

' ' Up to the time that I was six years old 
I have no remembrance of any religious ideas 
whatever. Even, when taken once to see 
the corpse of a little boy of my own age 
(four years), lying in a coffin strewn with 
flowers, in dear papa's parish of Astley, I did 
not think about it as otherwise than a very 
sad and very curious thing that that little 
child should lie so still and cold. I do not 
think I could ever have said any of those 
' pretty things ' that little children often do, 
though there were sweet and beloved and 
holy ones round me who must have often 
tried to put good thoughts into my little 
mind. But from six to eight I recall a dif- 
ferent state of things. The beginning of it 
was a sermon preached one Sunday morning, 
at Hallow Church, by Mr. (now Archdeacon) 
Phillpotts. Of this I even now retain a 



16 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

distinct impression. It was to me a very 
terrible one, dwelling much on hell and 
judgment, and what a fearful thing it is to 
fall into the hands of the living God. No 
one ever knew it, but this sermon haunted 
me, and day and night it crossed me. I 
began to pray a- good deal, though only 
night and morning, with a sort of fidget and 
impatience, almost angry at feeling so un- 
happy, and wanting and expecting to get a 
new heart, and have everything put straight 
and be made happy, all at once. 

"This sort of thing went on at intervals, 
not at all continuously, for often a month or 
two would pass without a serious thought or 
anything like true prayer. At such times I 
utterly abominated being 'talked to,' would 
do anything on earth to escape the kindly 

meant admonitions of dear M , or the 

prayers which she would offer for me. Any 
cut or bruise (and such were more the rule 
than exception in those wild days of tree- 
climbing, wall-scaling, etc.) was instantly 
adduced as a reason why I could not possibly 
kneel down. A chapter in the Bible was 
often a terrible bore. Then, after a time of 
this sort, some mere trifle, very often the in- 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 17 

fluence of a calm beautiful evening, or per- 
haps a < Sunday book' of some affecting kind, 
would rouse me up to uncomfortableness 
again. One sort of habit I got into in a 
steady way, which was persevered in with 
more or less fervor according to the particu- 
lar fit in which I might be. Every Sunday 
afternoon I went alone into a little front room 
(at Hen wick) over the hall, and there used 
to read a chapter in the Testament, and then 
knelt down and prayed for a few minutes, 
after which I usually felt soothed and less 
naughty." 

In the spring of 1845 she cried, " Oh, if 
God would but make me a Christian before 
summer comes ! " She particularly rever- 
enced Rev. John Davies, his presence did 
her a sort of definite good. She wanted 
such to speak to her about good things, much 
as she hated it from those who wanted to talk 
to her. She writes : "I know I was a 
naughty child ; in fact, I almost enjoyed my 
naughtiness in a savage desperate kind of a 
way, because I utterly despaired of getting 
any better, except by being made a Chris- 
tian." 



18 FB \\ci:s R, HAVBBG LL, 

Sometimes she was in greal earnest to be 
:i Christian but had do definite idea about l>e- 
Lieving on the Lord Jesus Christ. She was 
weary of trying to be good, for Bhe always 
failed. Ber mother during her Last siokness 
said to her, k ' You are my youngest little girl, 
and 1 feel more anxious about you than the 
rest. 1 do pray for the Holy Spirit to lead 
and guide you. And remember that nothing 

but the Mood of Christ can make you clean 

and lovely in God's sight." 

Frances. "Oh, mamma, I am sure you 
will get better and go to ehureh again !" 

"No, dear child; the ehureh mamma is 
going to is the general assembly and ehureh 
o( the firstborn in heaven. How glorious to 
know 1 shall soon see my Saviour face to 
face ! Now go and play and Bing some of 
your little hymns for me; there is one verse 
1 should like you to Bing twice over: 



And when her path la darkened 

She lifts her trusting eye, 
Ami Bays, ' My Father calls me 

To mansions in the sky ! ' * 



Her sister writes : — 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 19 

"Before her mother's death (when she was 
eleven years old) her wish was gratified to 
see the Lord's Supper administered. We 
remember her grave, flushed faee, when 
kneeling at her mother's bed during the 
' Communion of the Siek.' " 

She failed to realize that her mother was 
dcnd till the body was carried out of the 
house. 

Marie writes : — 

i t y cr y slowly and quietly a funeral passed 
out of the front (Rectory) gate, and in 
another minute was out of signt, turning into 
the church. Then she stood no longer, but 
rushed away to her own little room, and 
flung herself on her little bed, and cried 
'oh, mamma ! mamma ! mamma !' It seemed 
as if there was nothing else in her little heart 
but that one word. The dear suffering 
mother was at rest, seeing Jesus face to face. 
Only the smile of holy peace was left on that 
lovely face, and that remained to the last, 
telling of life beyond death ; she had never 
seen the solemn beauty of that smile before. 
But now all hope was gone, and she knew 
that she was motherless." 



20 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

In her little book of poems she wrote : — 

Eye hath not seen, nor ear hath hoard, 
Neither can man's heart conceive, 

The blessed things Hod hath prepared 
For those who love Him and believe. 

July 5///, 1S4S. 
And again : — 



Oil! had I the wings of a dove, 
Soon, soon would I be at my rest ; 

I would fly to the Saviour 1 love. 
And there would I lie 011 His breast. 



July Q)th. 



A SKETCH OF KEB LIFE 



21 



CHAPTEE II. 

SEEKING AFTER GOD. 

She was still without the knowledge of 
God's pardoning love ; but she never had a 
shadow of a hope in her own righteousness, 

or any trust in herself for salvation. The 
conflict between sin and holiness was still 
going on in her heart, year after year. 

When she was thirteen years of age she 
prayed more definitely and earnestly to God 
for faith. She wanted to believe Jesus, and 
tp believe that lie had pardoned her. She 
lav awake tor hours praying tor the preeious 
gift oi' pardon. She read the Bible with great 
care and hoped that something would come 
to set her free, and about this time she had a 
clear idea of salvation. She searched the 
Scriptures daily for one hour, in prayer, to 
see if she could find eternal life. 

At the age oi' fourteen she went to Belmont 



22 FRANCES R. HAVEEGAL. 

to school. This was a new era in her life, 
for, till now, she had been taught at home. 
At school she found a godly room-mate, who 
had a good influence over her. There was a 
revival of religion among the scholars, and 
one after another were converted and made 
an open profession of their saving faith in 
Christ. Frances often felt an unutterable 
lomnno- for the knowledge of sins forgiven, 
for a time she became more and more hope- 
less. Hope deferred made the heart sick. 
Still she drank in every word about Jesus 
and salvation, and wept and prayed day and 
night, but "There was no voice, nor any that 
answered" 

But the climax came one Sunday night 
when she heard an exposition of Mark ii. 
1-12, which threw much light upon her 
mind, especially when she saw the lonely 
helplessness of the paralytic and Christ's 
words of forgiveness to him. This gave her 
some true idea of salvation by faith. 

That evening her most intimate school- 
mate, Diana, sat on the opposite side of the 
table at tea and had a new and remarkable 
radiance about her countenance. Miss Fran- 
ces says : — 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 



23 



It seemed literally lighted up from 
within, while her voice sounded like a song 
of gladness. Something was coming I was 
sure. Diana was not the same. I looked at 
her almost with awe, as one would on some 
spirit visitant. As soon as tea was over she 
came round to my side of the table, sat down 
by me on the form, threw her arm round me, 
and said : * 'Oh, Fanny, dearest Fanny, the 
blessing has come to me at last. Jesus has 
forgiven me, I know. He is my Saviour, 
•and I am so happy ! He is such a Saviour 
as I never imagined, so good, so loving ! He 
has not cast me out, He said so, and He says 
so to you. Only come to Him and He will 
receive you. Even now He loves you though 
you don't know it." Much more she said 
which I do not remember, but the tone of 
her voice is as clearly sounding in my ear as 
if she still spoke. Yes, she had found peace, 
and more than peace,— overflowing, un- 
speakable joy ; yet, even in the first gush of 
its shining waters, she thought of those 
around, and almost her first impulse was to 
desire that her friends should possess what 
had been given to her to find. Then she told 
me how, while every one had supposed her to 



24 FRANCES R. IIAVERGAL. 

be a Christian, she had not been so, though 
she had been seeking and praying for a long 
time; and how, that day, the words 'thy 
sins bo forgiven thee' had struck her sud- 
denly, and she had thought them over all 
day till the time came when she could be 
alone with Him who spoke them ; and then 
came the joyful power of believing in the 
love and might of that gracious Saviour, and 
His death-bought pardon. 

' ' Afterwards, she told me how new and 
strangs many things seemed to her. The 
way in which she spoke of motives particu- 
larly impressed me. It was a new light to 
me. Actions, words and intentions had been 
enough for me before, but from that evening 
I felt that my standard was raised, and that 
henceforth my strivings after a holy life must 
include more than I had dreamt of. A con- 
sciousness of the purity of heart required by 
God came over me ; and, though more dis- 
heartened than ever, I had learnt a great 
lesson. 

"The few remaining days, till the holidays, 
passed much as before, except that the last 
two or three unsettled me, and made me very 
much indisposed for a continuance of the 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 25 

earnest steady toil of the foregoing weeks; 

for the first coming home from school, at the 

end of an unbroken half-year, is not a little 
thing to a child. » 

"From that time to the spring of the present 
year 1 date a course of weary seeking, in- 
constant and variable ; often departed from, 
but as often renewed, and by God's grace 
never entirely given up ; brightened from 
time to time with a gleam of hope, sweetened 
from time to time with a drop, though but a 
drop, of the still fountain of heavenly peace ; 
yet, as a rule, passed in the cold mists of 
, doubt, and the chilly storms of temptation 
and inward strife, and the dim twilight of 
miserable and even disappointed longing. 

"Oh, how gladly I would have exchanged 
my best things of earth, my happiest months 
and years, as far as outward things were 
concerned, with any one's lot, however 
wretched, who possessed that joy in the 
Lord." 

The six months' school term closed and she 
had not the assurance of faith. She returned 
home, and while on a visit with Miss Cooke 
(who afterward became her loved mother) 



26 PRANCES R. IIAYKKCAL. 

they had many conversations on religion. At 
last, as they sal in the drawing room alone, 
at twilight, Miss Frances told her friend how 
she longed (o know that she was forgiven. 
Miss Cook asked a question which led to a 
hearty answer: "That 1 was sure 1 desired it 
above everything on earth, that eveD my 
precious papa was nothing in comparison, — 
brothers and sisters, and all I loved, 1 could 
lose everything were it but to attain this." 
Sho paused, and then said slowly: "Then 
Fanny, 1 think, lam sure, it will not be very 
long before your desire is granted, your 
hope fulfilled." After a tew more words she 
said: "Why eannot yon trust yourself to 
your Saviour at onee? Supposing that now, 
at this moment, Christ were to come in the 
clouds oi' heaven, and take up His redeemed, 
could yon not trust Him? Would not His 
call, His promise, he enough for you? Could 
you not commit your soul to Him, to your 
Saviour, Jesus? M Then came a flash of hope 
across me, which made me feel literally 
breathless. I remember how my heart beat. 
"I could, surely," was my response: and T 
left her suddenly and ran away upstairs to 
think it out. 1 thing myself on my knees in 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 27 

my room, :uul strove fco realize the sudden 
hope. I was very happy al last. I could 
commit my soul to Jesus. I did not, and 
Deed Dot, tear His coming. I could trust 
Him with my all for eternity. It was so ut- 
terly ucw to have any bright thoughts about 
religion that L could hardly believe it could 

be so, that 1 had really gained such a step. 

Then and there, I committed my soul to the 

Saviour, I do not mean to say without any 
trembling or tear, but 1 did — and earth and 

heaven seemed bright from that moment — 

/ did trust (he Lord Jesus, 

" For the next few days my happiness con- 
tinued. Over and over again, I renewed 
that giving up my soul to the Saviour which 
had made entrance for the joy. For the 

first time my Bible was sweet to me, and the 
first passage which I distinctly remember 

reading, in a new and glad light, was the 

fourteenth ami following chapters of St. 
John's Gospel. We went to Bewdley in the 
Large carriage, and 1 rode outside, so had no 

conversation to disturb me. In coming home 

1 took out a little Testament from my 

pocket, and read those beautiful chapters, 
feeling how wondrously loving and tender 



28 PRANCES R. HAVBRG VL. 

they were, and that now I too might share in 
their beauty and comfort ." 

In November L852, when almost Bizteen 
years of age, she went to Germany with her 
parents. In attending school she stood alone 
amid one hundred and ten scholars, none of 

whom eared for religion. She writes; — 

"This was very bracing. 1 fell I must 
try to walk worthy of my calling, for Christ's 
sake; and it brought a new and very strong 
desire to bear witness for my Master, to 
adorn His doctrine, and to win others for 

Him, It made me more watehfnl and earnest 

than perhaps ever before, for I knew that 
any slip, in word or deed, would bring dis- 
credit on my profession. There was very 
much enmity to any profession, and 1 eame 

in for more unkindness than would have been 

possible in an average English school, where 

1 believe the tone is infinitely higher in every 
way and the supervision tar more strict. 
Results were: as to my schoolfellows none, 
1 ilo not know that 1 did any good among 

them; though, towards the end of the time, 
several were eertainly disarmed, and left off 



a sketch or HBB LIFE. 20 

the small persecutions in which they had 
delighted, and were even affectionate to me. 
As to teachers, I had the reward of leaving 
with the best zeugniss in the whole school, 
and with the highest praise and regret from 
every one. As to myself, it was a sort of 
nailing* my colors to the mast. I had taken 
ji higher standard than ever before, and had 
conic out more boldly and decidedly on the 
Lord's side than I might have done; for years 
under ordinary circumstances. Yet the tide 
ebbed again before many months.had passed, 
and I remember longing to be able to say 
"0 God, my heart is fixed," — in bitter 
mourning over its weakness and wavering." 



30 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 



CHAPTER III. 

CONFIRMATION. GREAT BIBLE STUDENT. 

In December, 1853, Miss Frances returned 
to England with her parents. After a num- 
ber of months she was confirmed in Worces- 
ter Cathedral by Dr. Henry Pepys, Bishop 
of Worcester. 

She writes July 17, 1854: — 

< ' In the procession to Worcester Cathedral 
Ellen Wakcman was my companion. On 
reaching our seat very near the rails, I sunk 
on my knees, and for the first time to-day 
the thought of ' whose I am ' burst upon me, 
and I prayed 'my God, oh, my own Father, 
Thou blessed Jesus my own . Saviour, Thou 
Holy Spirit, my own Comforter,' and I 
stopped. It scarcely seemed right for me to 
use the lan^uasre of such strong assurance as 
this, but yet I did not retract. The Litany 



A SKETCH OF IIER LIFE. 31 

only was chanted ; and, though my thoughts 
would fain have flown with each petition 
heavenward, yet every little thing seemed 
trebly a distraction, and the chanting was too 
often the subject of my thoughts. My heart 
beat very fast, and my breath almost seemed 
to stop, while the solemn question was being 
put by the bishop. Never I think did I 
feel my own weakness and utter helplessness 
so much. I hardly dared answer ; but ' the 
Lord is my strength' was graciously suggest- 
ed to me, and then the words quickly came 
from (I trust) my very heart ; * Lord, I can- 
not without Thee, but oh, with Thy almighty 
help, — I do.' 

4 * I believe that the solemnity of what had 
just been uttered, with its exceeding com- 
prehensiveness, was realized by me as far as 
my mind could grasp it. I thought a good 
deal of the words « Now unto Him that is 
able to keep you from falling' ; and that was 
my chief comfort. We were the first to go 
up, and I was the fourth or fifth on whom 
the bishop laid his hands. My feelings 
when his hands were placed on my head 
(and there was solemnity and earnestness in 
the very touch and manner) I cannot de- 



32 FRANCES R. IIAVERGAL. 

scribe, they wore too confused ; but when the 
words « Defend, O Lord, this Thy child with 
Thy heavenly grace, that she may continue 
Thine for ever, ana daily increase in Thy 
Holy Spirit more and more, until she come 
unto Thy everlasting kingdom,' were solemn- 
ly pronounced, it' ever my heart followed a 
prayer it did then, it" ever it thrilled with 
earnest longing not unmixed with joy, it did 
at the words 'Thine for ever.' But, as if in 
no feeling I might or could rest satisfied, 
there was still a longing 'oh that I desired 
this yet more earnestly, that I believed it yet 
more fully.' We returned to our seats, and 
for some time 1 wept, why 1 hardly know ; it 
was not grief, nor anxiety, not exactly joy." 

In her manuscript book o( poems she 
wrote the same day : — 

TlllNi: FOB EVER. 

Ohl "'rhino for over." what a blessed thing 

To bo for ever his who died for mo ! 
My Saviour, all my life. Thy praise I'll sing, 
Nor cease my Bong through eternity. 

/// the Cathedral, July 17, 1854. 

She always kept the anniversary of her 
confirmation day, and spent most oi' the day 



A SKETCH OF ITER LIFE. 33 

in holy retirement. In July, 187(5, she re- 
newed her confirmation vows as follows : — 



A COVENANT. 

Now, Lord, I give myself to Thee, 
1 would be wholly Thine; 

As Thou hast given Thyself to me, 
And Thou art wholly miue; 

Oh, take me as Thine own, 
Thine altogether — Thine alone. 



She had a great talent for singing and 
playing on the piano. She sang "with the 
spirit and with the understanding also." In 
1856 she made her first visit to Celbridge 
Lodge, Ireland. An Irish school girl pens 
the following concerning this meeting: 

"Five o'clock p. BI. was tho hour appoint- 
ed for the elder girls from the school to ar- 
rive at the Lodge. Mrs. Shaw met us at the 
hall door with gentle words to each, and then 
brought us into the drawing-room, we being 
in a great state of delight at the thought of 
seeing 'the little English lady.' In a few 
seconds Miss Frances, carolling like a bird, 
Hashed into the room ! Flashed ! yes, I say 



34 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

the 4 word advisedly, flashed in like a burst of 
sunshine, like a hillside breeze and stood, 
before us, her fair sunny curls falling round 
her shoulders, her bright eyes dancing, and 
her fresh sweet voice ringing through the 
room. I shall never forgot that afternoon, 
never! I sat perfectly spellbound as she 
sang chant and hymn with marvellous sweet- 
ness, and then played two or three pieces of 
Handel, which thrilled me through and 
through. She finished with singing her 
father's tune (Hobah) to 'The Church of our 
lathers.' She shook hands with each, and 
said with a merry laugh: 'the next time I 
come to Ireland 1 think we must get up a 
little singing class, and then you know you 
must all sing with me ! ' 

"As we walked home down the shady 
avenue one and another said: 'Oh, isn't she 
lovely? and doesn't she sing like a born an- 
gel !' 'I love her, 1 do : and I'd follow her 
every step oi' the way back to England if I 
could.' Oh, she's a real Colleen l>awn !' 

"Another of the class felt, all the time, 
that there must be the music of God's own 
love in that fair singer's heart, and that so 
there was joy in her face, joy in her words, 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 35 

joy in her ways. And the secret cry went 
up from that young Irish heart : 'Lord, 
teach me, even me, to know and love Thee 
too.'" 

She was a great student of the Bible. 
"She knew — her sister says — the whole 
of the Gospels, Epistles, Kevelations, the 
Psalms, and Isaiah. The minor prophets 
she learned in later years. At this time she 
was taking the titles of Christ for her daily 
searchings and remarks, 'yesterday I took 
Christ our Advocate, it is one of the sweet 
titles. Alpha and Omega will be a very 
suitable one for Sunday. I like to think 
about the Lord Jesus as He is in Himself, 
not only in relation to myself/ 

"Her home life was beautiful, though 
often only One knew the self-restraint, and 
the self-denial of her actions, trivial in them- 
selves, but springing from a desire to please 
God. She refused to go with me on a pleas- 
ant visit because she would not leave her 
dear mother alone, and said, ' If I can only 
go errands it will be of some use.' " 

She writes : — 



36 FRANCES E. TIAVERGAL. 

{To E. C.) August. 

"As time passes on, dear Elizabeth, so 
docs my hope strengthen that I really took a 
step onward when with you in the spring*. 
It was then that (like the woman in the 
press) I was enabled to come and touch the 
hem of His garment. It was then that the 
truth made me free. I have lost that weary 
bondage of doubt, and almost despair, which 
chained me for so many years. I have the 
same sins and temptations as before, and I 
do not strive against them more than before, 
and it is often just as hard work. But, 
whereas I could not see why I should bo 
saved, 1 now cannot sec why I should not bo 
saved if Christ died for all. On that word 
1 take my stand and rest there, I still wait 
for the hour when I believe He will reveal 
Himself to me more directly; but it is the 
quiet waiting of present trust, not the rest- 
less waiting of anxiety and danger. His 
death is really my confidence, and I have 
tasted the sweetness of one new thing, 
praise l n 

Such was the strength of her musical 
memory, that she could play through Handel, 



A SKETCH OF HER LITE. 37 

much of Beethoven and Mendelssohn, with- 
out any notes ; ' ' her touch was instinct with 
soul, and also her singing." 

Much of the time she was in poor health. 

She writes : — 

< < My ill health this summer has been very 
trying to me ; I am held back from much 
that I wanted to do in every way, and have 
had to lay poetizing aside. Perhaps this 
check is sent that I may consecrate what I 
do more entirely. I have a curious vivid 
sense, not merely has my verse faculty in 
general been given me, but also of every 
separate poem or hymn, nay every line being 
given. It is peculiarly pleasant thus to take 
it as a direct gift, not a matter of effort, but 
purely involuntary. I suppose that God's 
crosses are often made of most unexpected 
and strange material. Perhaps trial must be 
felt keenly, or it would not be powerful 
enough as a medicine in the hands of our 
beloved Healer ; and I think it has been a 
medicine to me latterly. You may wonder 
that I write thus, when I was so merry with 

you at L ; but, among the best gifts of 

God to me, I count a certain stormy petrelism 



38 FRANCES R. HAVEEGAL. 

of nature, which seems to enable me to skim 
any waves when 1 am not actually under 
them. I have an elasticity which often 
makes me wonder at myself, a power of 
throwing myself into any present interest or 
enjoyment, though the sorrow is only sus- 
pended not removed. 

"But once I seemed permitted to suffer 
mentally in an unmitigated sort of way, which 
I never knew before. Perhaps to teach me 
how to feel for others who have not that 
stormy petrelism which bears me through 
most things. For that forsook me utterly, 
and I felt crushed and forsaken of all or any 
help or cheer, to an extent I never felt 
before. 

"I wish I rejoiced more, not only on my 
own account, but if I may so say, on His, 
for surely I should praise Him more by both 
lip and life. Mine has been such a shady 
Christian life, yet 'He led them forth by the 
right way' must somehow be true here, 
though I don't see how. I ought to make 
one exception ; I have learned a real sym- 
pathy with others walking in darkness, and 
sometimes it has seemed to help me to help 
them." 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 39 



CHAPTER IV. 

STAMP OF NOBILITY, GROWING IN GRACE, 

father's DEATH. 

One of her teachers testifies as follows : — 

"What imprinted the stamp of nobility 
upon her whole being, and influenced all her 
opinions, was her true piety, and the deep 
reverence she had for her Lord and Saviour, 
whose example penetrated her young life 
through and through." 

Her beautiful life went on, filled up with a 
variety of Christian duties. She wrote many 
heavenly hymns that the people love to sing. 
She writes of them : — 

" It does seem wonderful that God should 
so use and bless my hymns ; and yet it really 
does seem as if the seal of His own blessing 



40 FRANCES u. HAVERGAL. 

were set upon them, for so many testimonies 
have reached me. Writing is praying with 
me, for I never seem to write even a verso 
by myself, and feel like a little child writing ; 
you know a child would look up at every 
sentence and say 'And what shall I say 
next?' Thai is just what I do; I ask that 
every line He would give me, not merely 
thoughts and power, hut also every icord, 
even ih( x very rhymes. Very often I have 
a most distinct and happy consciousness of 
direct answers." 

She writes in her manuscript papers in 
May L867 : — 

" It seems as if the Lord had led me into 
a calmer and more equitable frame oi' mind; 
not joy, hut peace; and texts of Scripture 
light up to me very pleasantly sometimes. 
Why should I not take for granted all that I 
find in the Bible? AYhy should 1 hesitate 
and trouble about it, as 1 have been doing 
for years. 1 have been appropriating all the 
promises with a calm sort of twilight happi- 
ness, waiting for a clearer light to show me 
their full beauty and value. 



A SKTCTCT r OF 1 1 E R T.r FTC . 4 1 

"It docs seem to mo that 'free grace' 
does not mean there is nothing on our side. 
We may phrase it 'coming,' 'accepting,* 
k believing,' 'touching the hem;' but there; 
18 something which these words represent, 
which is necessary to salvation ; and then 
comes the question, have I this condition? 
Yet as soon as / in any form comes in, (here 
is shadow upon the light. Still this shadow 
need not fall when the eye is fixed upon 
Christ as the Substitute, the Lamb slain; 
then all is clear. But it is in reading, when 
one's heart leaps at some precious promise 
made to the children of God, that a cold 
check comes, 'am /one of them? what is 
my title?' Answer, 'Ye are all the children 
of God by faith in Jesus Christ.' Have I 
faith? Once introduce that I, and you get 
bewildered between faith and feeling. When 
I go on and grapple with the difficulty, it 
comes to this. As far as I know, 1 have 
come to Jesus, not once but many times. I 
have knelt, and literally prostrated myself 
before Him, and told Him all, that I have no 
other hope but what J lis written word says 
He did and said, that I know it is tine, that 
the salvation it tells of is just what I want 



I ) FRANCES R. H kVERG u.. 

and "// I want, and that my heart goes out 
bo it, and that I <!»> aooepl ii ; that I do not 
fully grasp it, l>ni I cling to it ; thai I want to 
bo llis only and entirely, now and for ever. 
- fc l want to make the most <>f my life and 
lo do the best with It, i>m here I feel my 
desires and motives need much purifying; 
for, even where all would sound fair enough 
in word-, .-in element of self, of Lurking 
pride, may be deteoted. oh, that He would 

indeed purify me :ind make me while :it any 

*os< ! No one professing to be a Christian 
.-it .-ill could possibly have had ;> more oloudy, 
feariug, doubting, sinning, and wandering 
heart history that mine has boon through 
many years." 

Sometimes she had more faith in God, as 
.seen in the following testimony : — 

*'l have been so happy lately, and the 

Words * Then hast jnil gladness in my heart' 
1 ean USO, as true of my own ease; especial- 
ly as to one point, I am s/u-c now (and 1 
never was beforo) thai 1 y\o lo\ e (iod. 1 

love Him distinctly, positively; and 1 think 

1 have loved Him more and longer than 1 



\ KETCH OF in i: LIFE. 13 



_>»v^-y^-v> 



thought, only I dared not own it fco myself. 
( )h that I loved him more and more I Mow 
I abhor myself for having loved, for loving, 
so little." 

She placed great value on the sympathy 
and counsel of her father in all her studies. 
She delighted fco talk-ou1 hard questions with 
I, n> . His classical knowledge and musical 
skill, sell led many -.\ difficult point lor her. 

But Hk- shadow of death fell swiftly and 
stealthily over that lovely home, Her dear 
father was unusually well on Easter evening 
L870 mikI had walked oul during the day. 

Later on lie s:il down lo liis li.irninniiini , 

playing and singing !!><' inn*' oomposed by 
1,1,, - m the morning. He cose early as usual ; 
but apoplexy ensued ; and after forty-eight 
hours of unconsciousness he passed away. 
A'M.I seventy-seven. 
She writes as follows : — 



« i Yet speaketh ! ' there was no Last word <>i love 

s<> suddenly <>n us the sorrow fell ; 
in brlghl translation i<> 1 1 1 « • I above 

Whs olouded with no shadow of farewell; 
ii, ia i Lent evening olosed with praise :in<i prayer, 
\ini then began the songs <»r endless Easter there." 



I 1 PRANCES R. HAVEEGAL. 

In Astley churchyard, under the fir tree 
(the place which he had chosen years before), 

he rests till That Pay. Frances was now 
thirty-four years of age, 

Soon after her father's death she under- 
took the preparation tor the press of " llav- 
ergal's Psalmody," which was so largely used 
in connection with the Rev. C. B. Sliepp's 
Hymnal. 

About this time she writes to a friend: — 

u How I should like to teach you har- 
mony ! 1 do believe I could make it lucid : 
you can't think what exquisite symmetry 
there is in chords and intervals, so that I 
always tool, as well as believe, that man by 
no means invented harmony, but only found 
cuit God's beautiful arrangements in it." 

To another friend she writes : — 

44 As you use ■ HavergaTs Psalmody,' I 

thought you might be interested to know a 
little more about my dear father, so will you 
accept a 'Memorial' of him. 

"Literal * singing for Jesus' is to me, some- 
how, the most personal and direct commis- 
sion 1 hold from my beloved Master; and 



A SKETCH OF IIEU LIFE. 45 

my opportunities for it are often most 
curious, and have been greatly blessed ; 
every line in my little poem ' Singing for 
Jesus ' is from personal experience. . . . 

"I was so overwhelmed on Sunday at 
hearing three of my hymns touchingly sung 
at Perry Church. I never before realized 
the high privilege of writing for ' the great 
congregation.' " 

( To Margaret W ) 

. . . " Last night they sang * To Him who 
for our sins was slain,' to my little tunc 
' Tryphosa,' it went so deliciously, and choir 
and congregation really rang out the Alle- 
luias so brightly that it suddenly came over 
me, as it never did before, what a privilege 
it is even to have contributed a bit of music 
for His direct praise. It was a sort of hush 
of praise, all alone with Jesus, for His great 
goodness. I had no idea 'Tryphosa' was 
such a pretty tune before ! " . . . 

Thoughts from various Letters, 1873. 

" How I should like to be with you now ! 
it would be so nice to throw one little iiowcr 



46 PRANCES R. 11 w ERG u.. 






among your thorns. However, 1 think //<• 
would send me, impossible as it seems, it" 
really best ; so, as I am not Bent, 1 know it 

Is hotter BO." 

u So your fiery trial is still unextinguished. 
Bui what it' it be but Ili> beacon light on 
your upv ard path." 

" Chis is bitter desolation for you, bo I 
semi you * I will not leave you comfortless.' 
It w:is ;i greater loss than any, which the 
disciples were to endure, His own personal 
presence withdrawn. Can he have changed 
since He Bpoked those loving words? What 
a test of the disciples' faith ! What could 
make up for this greatest loss of all? How 
could He go away, and yet not leave thorn 
comfortless? You are railed now to the same 
son of trial ot* faith; can you not trust the 
truth and love of the Master who sends it? 

Aiul then • I will eoine to you.' You know 

something of how He can 'come,' but do you 
think you have reached the end of His 
gracious coming 

" It is a question whether a really thought- 
ful mind could possibly yield the homage of 



A SKETCH OF HEB LE i.. 47 

its entire»being to a God whom it could un- 
derstand and fathom. The instinct of* such 
a mind would revolt from it." 

" <As for thee, the Lord thy God has not 
suffered thee to do so.' What a stepping 
stone ! We give thanks, often with a tearful 
doubtful voice, for our spiritual care, per- 
gonal calling and guidance. JTet this is only 
for the wilderness journey, for the 'one by 
one' will blossom at lasi into a grand answer 
to His prayer, 'that they all may be one/ no 
longer l one, hi/ one.' " 

"Tired, disappointed, and depressed, I 
thought of Matthew xi. 28, 'Come unto Me 
nil ye that labor,' but felt quite tantalized at 
ii because l labor' 'lid not, apply to me. I 
look up my Greek Testament and Lexicon, 
and to my delight saw that the very same 
word is used in John iv. 6, 'Jesus therefore 
being wearied.' Just human, natural, physi- 
cal fatiguel So I didn't see why I should 
not take the comfort of it, and I did not 
fcouble to think, hut II'; let the words re fc 
me altogether." 



48 FRANCES E. HAVERGAL. 

VISIT TO SWITZERLAND. 

"In the summer of 1873 Frances accom- 
panied her friends Mr. and Mrs. Snepp and 
their daughter Emily to Switzerland. 

1 ' She describes her ascent to the Grands 
Mulcts on Mont Blanc, arriving at its deso- 
late rocks in the midst of an ocean of snow. 

"We had some lovely effects, such as I 
had never seen before, in passing the colossal 
ice blocks on the shady side, the sun behind 
them touching the edges with a sort of trans- 
parent aureole, and shining through a glit- 
tering drip from the overhanging ones. 

" On their descent from Mont Blanc, 
Frances' delight in glissading led to most 
perilous and imminent danger, from which 
Mr. Sncpp's instantaneous presence of mind 
saved her life and also the life of one of the 
guides. 

She writes : — 

* ' They would not unropc me ; when we 
got to Pierre a FEchelle, I was so enjoying 
my glissades, and presently thought we were 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 49 

come to a sufficiently easy part to go care- 
lessly, whereupon I slipped, and Payot the 
guide, who was next to me, totally lost him- 
self too. Below us was a dark abyss ; we 
both started a decidedly too rapid spin down 
a very steep incline to sheer precipice below ; 
when, instantaneously, Mr. S. did the only 
possible thing which could have saved all 
four of us, flung himself right on his back 
with his heels in the snow, the orthodox 
thing to do if only any one has the presence 
of mind to do it. Thus he was enabled to 
bear the immense strain on the rope, and 
check our impetus ; thank God, we soon re- 
covered our footing. After this I was un- 
roped, which I greatly prefer, it is so ham- 
pering, and had some splendid glissades 
alone, and we returned to Chamounix in two 
hours less than the regulation time." 



50 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 



CHAPTER V. 

PANTING FOR HEART FURITY. OBTAINS 

ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION. ESTAB- 
LISHED IN HOLINESS. 

We are reaching a very deeply interesting 
part of Miss Frances' life, when she made an 
everlasting covenant with God, and obtained 
the great blessing of entire sanctification ; 
seven years before her translation to eternal 
glory. For twenty-two years she walked in 
the light of justification and went about 
doing good like the Saviour : but there was 
a cry in her heart after the living God : a 
hungering and thirsting after righteousness, 
that would be satisfied with nothing less than 
entire conformity to God. 

Toward the close of the year 1873, at the 
age of 37, she received one day, in a letter 

from N , a tiny book with the title "All 

for Jesus." She read it carefully. Its 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 51 

contents arrested her attention. It set forth 
a fulness of Christian experience and bless- 
ing exceeding that to which she had as yet 
attained. She was gratefully conscious of 
having for. many years loved the Lord and 
delighted in His service ; but there was in 
her experience a falling short of the stand- 
ard, not so much of a holy walk and convers- 
aton, as of uniform brightness and continuous 
enjoyment in the Divine life. 'All for 
Jesus ' she found went straight to this point 
of the need and lonsrin^ of her soul. Writing 
in reply to the author of the little book, she 
said: "I do so long for deeper and fuller 
teaching in my own heart. ' All for Jesus ' 
has touched me very much. ... I know 
I love Jesus, and there are times when I feel 
such intensity of love to Him that I have not 
words to describe it. I rejoice, too, in Him 
as my 'Master' and 'Sovereign,' but I want 
to come nearer still, to have the full realiza- 
tion of John xiv. 21, and to know 'the 
power of His resurrection,' even if it be with 
the fellowship of His sufferings. And all 
this, not exactly for my own joy alone, but 
for others. ... So I want Jesus to speak 
to me, to say 'many things' to me, that I 



52 FRANCES R. IIAVERGAL. 

may speak for Him to others with real 
power. It is not knowing doctrine, but 
being with Him, which will give this." 

" God did not leave her long in this stale of 
mind, lie Himself had shown her that there 
were 'regions beyond' of blessed experi- 
ence and service; had kindled in her very 
sonl the intense desire to go forward and 
possess them"; and now, in His own grace 
and love. He took her by the hand, and led 
her into the goodly land. A few words 
from her correspondent on the power of 
Jesus to keep those who abide in Him from 
falling, and on the continually present power 
of His blood (" the blood of Jesus Christ J lis 
/Son cleanseth us from all sin,''') were used 
by the Master in effecting this. Very joy- 
ously she replied: ' I see it alL and I save 
the blessing.' 

Her sister writes : — 

"The 'sunless ravines' were now for 
ever passed, and henceforth her peace and 
joy flowed onwards, deepening and widening 

under the teaching of God the Holy Ghost. 
The blessing she had received had (to use 
her own words) ' lifted her whole life into 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 53 

sunshine, of which all she had previously ex- 
perienced was but as pale and passing April 
gleams, compared with the fulness of sum- 
mer glory.'" 

"The practical effect of this was most evi- 
dent in her daily, true-hearted, whole-hearted 
service for her King, and also in the in- 
creased joyousness of the unswerving obedi- 
ence of her home life, the surest test of all. 

"To the reality of this, I do most willingly 
and fully testify. Some time afterwards, in 
answer to my question, when we were talk- 
ing quietly together Frances said: 'Yes, it 
was on Advent Sunday, December 2, 1873, 
I first saw clearly the blessedness of true 
consecration. I saw it as a flash of electric 
light, and what you see you can never unsee. 
There must be full surrender before there 
can be full blessedness. God admits you by 
the one into the other. He Himself showed 
me all this most clearly. You know how 
singularly I have been withheld from attend- 
ing all conventions and conferences ; man's 
teaching has, consequently, had but little to 
do with it. First, I was shown that 'the 
blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us 
from all sin,' and then it was made plain to 



>! PRANCES R. RAVERGAL. 

me that He who had thus cleansed me had 
power to keep mo clean ; so 1 just utterly 
yielded myself to Him, and utterly trusted 
Him to keep \uc.' 

1 replied that ' it seemed to me, if we did 
thus yield ourselves to the Lord, we could 
not take ourselves back again, any more than 
the Levitical sacrifices, once accepted by the 
priest, were returned by him to the offerer.* 

u Yes, M she rejoined, "just so. Still, 1 
see there can be the renewal of the surrender, 
as iu our Communion Service, where we 
say : * And here we offer and present unto 
Thee, Lord, ourselves, our souls and 
bodies* 1 And there may also behJuUer Bur- 
render, even long after a surrender has once, 
or many times before*, been made. Ami 
then as to sanctification : that it is the work 
of the Holy Spirit, and progressive, is the 
very thing 1 Bee and rejoice in. Wo has 
brought me into the * highway of holiness,' 
up which 1 trust every day to progress, con- 
tinually pressing forward. Led by the Spirit 
of God, Aiul 1 do indeed find that with it 
comes a happy trusting, not only in all great 
matters, but in all the little things also. BO 
thai 1 cannot Bay *so and so worries me*" 1 



A SKETCH OF 1 1 1:1: LIFE. 55 

" Some months afterwards I received the 
following explanatory letter on the same 
subject : — 

"Dearest Maria, — 

. . . Certainly your letters have filled 
me with gladness and thanksgiving. 1 have 
long wanted to explain lo you and others in 
writing (which is easier to be clear in than 
in conversation, with its natural interrup- 
tions) which 1 see as to the Bubject which (<> 
me was undoubtedly the portal into a happy 
life. As to c perfectionism,' or 8 sinlessness,' 
I have all along, and owv and over again, 
said 1 never did, and do not hold either. 
Sinlessness belongs only to Christ now, and to 
our glorified state in heaven. 1 believe i1 lo 
be not merely an impossibility on earth, but 
an actual contradiction of our very being, 
which cannot be k sinless' fill the resurrection 
change has passed upon us. Bui being kept 
from falling, kept from sins, is quite 
another thing, and the Bible seems to teem 
with commands and promises about ;t . First 
however I would distinctly state 4 that it is only 
as, and while a soul is under the lull power 

of the Mood of Christ, thai it can be cleansed 



56 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

from all sin; that one moment's withdrawal 
from that power, and it is again actively, 
because really, sinning; and that it is only 
as and while kept by the power of God Him- 
self that we are not sinning against him; one 
instant of standing alone is certain fall: But 
(premising that) have we not been limiting 
the cleansing power oi' the precious blood 
when applied by the Holy Spirit, and also 
the keeping power of our God? Have we 
not been limiting I. John i. 7, by practi- 
cally making it refer only to 'the remission 
o\' sins that are past, instead of taking the 
grand simplicity of ' clcanscth us from all 
sin'? 'All' is all : and as we may trust Him 
to cleanse from the stain of past sins, so we 
may trust Him to cleanse from all present de- 
filement ; yc^s, all! If not, we take away 
from this most precious promise, and, by 
refusing to take it in its fulness, lose the ful- 
ness oi' its application and power. Then we 
limit God's power to k keep' : we look at our 
frailty more than at His omnipotence. 
Where is, the line to be drawn, beyond which 
lie is not 'able'? The very keeping implies 
total helplessness without it, and the very 
cleansing most distinctly implies defilement 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 57 

without it. It was that one word * deanseth ' 
which opened the door of a very glory of 
hope and joy to me. I had never seen the 
force of the tense before, a continual present, 
always a present tense, not a present which 
the next moment becomes a past. It goes 
on cleansing, and I have no words to tell 
how my heart rejoices in it. Not a coming 
to be cleansed in the fountain only, but a re- 
maining in the fountain, so that it may and 
can go on cleansing. 

' 'Why should we pare down the com- 
mands and promises of God to the level of 
what we have hitherto experienced of what 
God is 'able to do,' or • even of what we 
have thought He might be able to do for us ? 
Why not receive God's promises, nothing 
doubting, just as they stand? 'Take the 
shield of faith, whereby ye shall be able to 
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked ' ; 
' He is able to make all grace abound toward 
you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in 
all things'; and so on, through whole con- 
stellations of promises, which surely mean 
really and fully what they say. 

"One arrives at the same thing, starting 
almost from anywhere. Take Philippians 



58 FRANCES h\ RAVERGAL. 

iv. 19, 'your need'; well, what is my ureal. 
need and craving of soul? Surely it is now, 
(having been justified by faith, and having 
assurance of salvation,) to be made holy by 
the continual sanctifying power of God's 
Spirit ; \o be kept from grieving the Lord 
Jesus; to be kept from thinking or doing 
whatever is not accordant with His holy will. 
Oh what a need of this ! Ami it is said ' He 
shall supply all your need'; now, shall we 
turn round and say ( all' does not moan quite 
all? Both as to the commands and the 
promises, it seems to me that anything short 
o( believing them as they stand is but an- 
other form oi' * yea, hath God said?' 

"Thus accepting in simple and unquestion- 
ing faith, God's commands and promises, 
one seems to he brought at once into inten- 
sified views o( everything. Never, oh never 
before, did sin seem so hateful, so really in- 
tolerable, nor watchfulness so necessary, and 
keenness and interruptedness of watchfulness 
i(X\ beyond what one ever thought oi\ only 
somehow different, not a distressed sort but 
a happy sort. It is the watchfulness of a sen- 
tinel when his captain is standing by htm on 
the ramparts, when his eye is more than 



ETCH OF m:i: i.n i 59 



)- 



ever on the alert for any signs of the a] 
proaching enemy, because he knows that 
they can only approach to l^; defeated. 
Then, too, the 'all for Jesus' comes in ; one 
sees there Is no half-way, it musl be absolu- 
tely aU yielded up, because the least un- 
yielded or doubtful point. Is sin; let alone 
the great fact of owing all to Him. And 
one cannot, dare not, temporize with sin. I 
know and have found, that even a momen- 
tary hesitation about yielding, or obeying, 
or trusting and believing, vitiates all, the 
communion is broken, the joy rani bed ; 
only, thank God, this never need continue 
even five minutes, (kith may plunge instant- 
ly into 'the fountain open for sin and nn- 
cleanness/ and again find its power to cleanse 
and restore. Then one wants to have more 
and more light ; one does not shrink from 
painful discoveries of* evil, because one o 
wants to have the unknown depths of it 
cleansed as well as what comes to the sur- 
face. 'Cleanse me thoroughly from my sin,' 
:u\([ one prays to be shown this. But so for 
one must 'put away Bin' and 
abey entirely \ and here again His power is 
our resource, enabling us to do what without 
it we could not do." 



60 FRANCES K. BAVERGAL, 

It was this marvellous experience that pre- 
pared her for the most extensive usefulness, 
in life and in death. 

The following hymn was written at Win- 
terdyne, and Mr. Shaw wel] remembers 
Francos bringing it and reading it to him, 
saving, "There 1 I could not have written 
this before." And as she stood, even in the 
twilight, the sunny radiance of her counte- 
nance was sealing her words : — 

"The fulness of His blessing encompasseth our way ; 
The Fulness of lli> promises crowns every brighten- 
ing day ; 
The Fulness of lli> glory i> beaming from above. 
While more and more we realize the fulness of His 

love." 

Every visit seemed now to open doors for 
her loving words, and she Longed tor whole 
households to taste with her of the good- 
ness of the Lord. One extract must ho as 
it wore a glimpse of many others. 

She writ os : — 

"Perhaps you will be interested to know 
the origin of the consecration hymn 'Take 
my life.' 1 went for a lit t lo visit o( five 



A SKETCH OP HUB LIFE. <; l 

days. There were ten persons in the house ; 
some unconverted and long prayed for, some 
converted but not rejoicing Christians. He 
gave me the prayer, 'Lord, give me .-ill in 
this house l' And He just did. Before I 
left the house every one had got a blessing. 
The last night of my visit I was too happy 
to sleep, and passed most of the night in 
renewal <>r my consecration, and these Little 

OOUplets formed iliemselves and eliimed in 

my heart one after another till they finished 
with k Ever, only, all for Thee.' The 
hymn was as follows, and will be sung (ill 

JeSUS comes lo judge the world : — 



"Take my Life and let It i><* 
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; 
Take my bands and let Hm-ih move 
At the impulse of Thy love. 

Take my feet :m<i let them be 
Swift and beautiful Cor Thee; 
Take my voice and let me sing 
Always only Cor my King. 

Take my lips and let them be 
Filled wiiii messages Cor Thee: 
Take my moments and my days, 

Let llu'iu Il<>\\ in ceaseless praise. 



62 vu \\( IBS R. ii IVERO vi - 

Take my w in and make ii Thine, 
ii shall be uo longer oalne ; 
Take mj heart It la Thine ovi □ ; 
ii shall be Thy royal throne. 

Take m y love— nay Lord, I pour 
At Thy fleet Its treasure Btore \ 
Take m\ self, and 1 will be 
Ever, only. Lord, tor Thee I " 

She writes : — 

11 Lot us Bing words which we feel and 
love, sacrificing everything to clearness of 
enunciation) and looking up to moot His 
smile all t ho while we are Binging; our songs 
will reach more hearts than those of finer 
voices and more brilliant execution) unac- 
companied by His power. A sacred Bong 
thus sung often gives a higher tone to the 
evening, and affords, both to singer and 
Listeners) some opportunity of speaking a 
word for Jesus.* 5 

The Holy Ghost made her Bongs and tes- 
timonies a great blessing to thousands. 
There was a sacred power in her personal 
presence after she experienced entire B&ncti- 
tication. 



BTOH OF HBB i.u B. 63 



GHAPTEB VI. 

PERSONAL WORK. — ENTIBE kanctifio vno.v 

I BD. 

She was greatly blessed in laboring for the 
salvation of souls, and especially in personal 
conversation. She writes : — 

". . . . L was at a large regular Lon- 
don party lately, and I was bo happy. He 
seemed to give me 'the secret of* His pres- 
ence/ and of course I sang * for Jesus/ and 
did not I have dead silence? Afterwards I 
had two really important conversations with 
strangers; one seemed extremely surprised 
:.t finding himself quite easily drifted from 
the badinage with which he started into a 
right-down personal talk about, his personal 
danger and his only hope for safety ; he took 
it very well, and thanked me. Perhaps t hot 
seed may bear fruit,. Somehow it is won- 



64 FRANCES 1:. HAVERGAL. 

derful how the Master manages for me in 
such oases. I don't think any one can say I 
force the subjeel ; il just all develops one 
thing out of another, quite naturally, till 
very soon they find themselves face to face 
with eterna] things, and the Lord Jesus can 
l>e freely 'lifted up* before them. I could 
no! contrive a conversation thus." 

And the following Idler gives another 
reference to the reality of her experience: — 

" January 26, [874, 



" Deak Mr. S 



u I have just had such a blessing in the 
shape of what would have been only two 
months ago a really bitter blow to me; and 
now il is actual accession of joy, because 1 
find thai il does nol even touch mel I w:is 
expecting a letter from America, enclosing 
£35 now due to me, and possibly news that 
* Bruey ' was going on like steam, and k Cinder 
the Surface' pressingly wanted. The Letter 
has come, and, instead of all this, my pub- 
lisher has failed In the universal crash. lie 
holds my written promise lo publish only 
with him :is Ihe condition o\' his launching 



A SKETCH OF HEB LITE. 65 

me; so this is nol simplya little loss, but an 
end of all my American prospects of either 
cash, influence, or fame, at any rate for a long 
time to come. I really had not expected that 
He would do for me so much above al] I asked, 
m aot merely to help me acquiesce in this, but 
positively not to feel it at all, and only to re- 
joice in it as a clear test of the reality of vic- 
torious faith which I do find brightening almost 
daily. Two months ago this would have 
been a real trial to me, for I had built agood 
deal on my American prospects; now 'Thy 
will be done* is no1 a sigh but, only a song! 
I think if it had been nil my English footing, 
present and prospective, as well a- the 
American, that [thus found suddenly gone, 
it would have been worth it, for the joy it 
has been to find my Lord so faithful and true 
to all His promises. With regard to some 
of His promises there seems no room for 
even the exercise of faith. It is not that I 
believe or grasp them, but that I find them 
all come true as I never did before. The 
sense of His unutterable loving-kindness, to 
me is simply overwhelming. Several times 
lately I have; felt, literally overwhelmed and 
overpowered with the realization of God's 



66 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

unspeakable goodness to me, I say il de- 
liberately and with thankfulness and joy, for 
which 1 have do words. / have not a fear 
or a doubt, or a care, or a shadow upon the 
sunshine of my heart* Every day brings 
some quite new cause for thankfulness: only 
today He has given me sm-h a victory as I 
never had before, in a very strong tempta- 
tion: lie Lifted me above it in a way I never 
experienced yet." 

See the simplicity of her heart in tin* fol- 
lowing letter : — 

" March 19, 1874. 



" Deab Mr. XV , 

" . . . 1 can never set myself to write 
verse. I believe my King suggests a thought 
ami whispers me a musical line or two, and 
then 1 look up and thank Him delightedly, 
and go on with it. That is how the hymns 

and poems come. Just now there is silence. 
1 have not had the least stir o\' music in my 

mind since I wrote that tiny consecration 

hymn, a most unusually long interval : and 

till lie sends it there will be none. I :un 
always ready to welcome it and work it when 
it conies, hut I never press tor il. . . . 



A SKETCH OP 111:1: 1 jfk. fJ7 

" ' can't make you quite understand me! 
You say <F. R, II. could do "Satisfied" 
grandly'! M, she couldn't! Not unless 
He gave it me line by line! That Is how 
verses come The Master has not put a 
chest of poetic gold into my possession and 
said 'Now use it as you like!' But He 
keeps the gold, and gives it me piece Uy 
piece just when He will and as much as He 
will, and no more. Some day perhaps He 
will scud me a bright line of verse on « Satis- 
fied' ringing through my mind, and then I 
shall look up and thank Him, and say, 'Now, 
dear Master, give me another to rhyme wifh 
it, and then another's and then perhaps He 
will scud it all iu one How of musical 
i noughts, but more likely one at a time, that 
I may be kept asking Him for every line. 
There, that is the process, and you see there 
is no 'I can do it' at all. That isn't His 
w.-iy wiih me. I often smile to myself when 
people talk about 'gifted pen' or 'clever 
versesV etc. j because they don't know that 
it is neither, bui something really much nicer 
than being * talented ' or 'clever.'" 

Jii the blessed experience of entire sancti- 



68 PRANCES K. F1AVERGAL, 

fication her life was filled up in usefulness; 
like her Heavenly Master she was constantly 
doing good. She writes: — 

"I do so feel thai every hour is distinctly 
and definately guided by Him, I have taken 
Him ni His word in everything, and He takes 
me ;ii my word in everything. Oh, I can say 
now thai Jesus is to me a living bright Real- 
ity, and thai He really and truly fc'more 
dear, more intimately nigh, than e'en the 
sweetest earthly tie.' No friendship could 
be whal 1 find His to be. I have more now 
than a few months ago, even though I was 
so happy then ; lor the joy of giving my- 
self, and my will, and my all to Him seems 
as it' it were succeeded, and even superseded, 
by the deeper joy of a conscious certainty 
thai He has taken all that He led mo to give ; 
ami « 1 am persuaded thai IK 4 is able to keep 
that which 1 have committed unto him': so, 
having entrusted my very trust to him, I 
look forward ever so happily to the future 
((^ there be ye1 much of earthly future for 
me) as 'one vista of brightness and blessed- 
ness.' Only 1 do so want everybody to 
'taste and see.' Yesterday I somehow came 



A SKETCH OF ITER LIFE. C>9 

to a good full stop in my writing much 
earlier than I expected, and asked what Ho 
would have me do next, go on, or go out at 
once? Just then a young lady came in; 
'Had I just a few minutes to spare?' So I 
went out with her at once. She had over- 
heard a short chat I had had some days ago 
with another, didn't know what, but it had 
set her longing lor something more than she 
had ffot. She had started out for a walk 
alone, thinking and praying, and the thought 
came to her to come straight to me, which 
she seemed to think an unaccountably hold 
step. Well, God seemed to give me exactly 
the right message for her, just as with Miss 

M last week, the two cases starting from 

a very different level bu1 the result the same, 
a real turning point. Don't conclude from 
these that I am always seeing results, because 
I am not ; but that I am entirely content 
about, just as He chooses it to be." 

Subsequent ill health obliged Frances to 
give up much pleasant work, and especially 

the training of the St. Paul's voluntary choir, 
which had been committed to her. But (she 
writes) "when a disappointment conies in 
that way it must be His appointment !" 



70 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

(Toll. W.) 

U I am stopped in every attempt at con- 
secutive work. It has for years been special 
discipline to me, because I am naturally fond 
of going through with a thing, and have 
always had a strong yearning for definite 
settled work. Yet I have never been per- 
mitted anything but desultory work ; either 
ailments or something beyond my own con- 
trol has always interfered ever since I was 
about twenty. . . . Margaret, is it that 
He cannot trust me with any work for Him, 
even after all these years ? I have been feel- 
ing very down, and I hope really humbled ; 
it seemed rather marked, His not letting me 
write at all this year; and, now, taking away 
all work from me seems another sentence of 
the same lesson. I feel such a ' cumberer,' 
every one doing more and better than my- 
self. Pray for me, that I may really learn 
all He is teaching me. . . . 

' < . . . . Did you ever hear of any one 
being very much used for Christ who did not 
have some special waiting time, some com- 
plete upset of all his or her plans first ; from 
St. Paul's being sent off into the desert of 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 71 

Arabia for three years, when he must have 
been boiling over with the glad tidings, down 
to the present day? You were looking 
forward to tell about trusting Jesus in Syria ; 
now He says, ' I want you to show what it is 
to trust Me, without waiting for Syria.' 
Even if you never say one word, it will be 
seen your trust is a reality, because Jesus is 
a Reality. 

" My own case is far less severe, but the 
same in principle, that when I thought the 
door was flung open for me to go with a 
bound into literary work, it is opposed, and 
doctor steps in and says simply ' Never ! 
She must choose between writing and living, 
she can't do both.' That was in 1860. Then 
I came out of the shell with ' Ministry of 
Song,' in 1869, and saw the evident wisdom 
of having been kept nine years waiting in 
the shade. 

"God's love being unchangeable, He is 
just as loving when we do not see or feel His 
love. Also His sovereignty and His love 
are co-equal and universal : so He withholds 
the enjoyment and conscious progress, be- 
cause He knows best what will really ripen 
and further His work in us." 



72 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

A MUSICAL VISION. 

She writes : — 

" , . . . In the train I had one of those 
curious musical visions, which only very 
rarely visit me. I hear strange and very 
beautiful chords, generally full, slow and 
grand, succeeding each other in most inter- 
esting sequences. I do not invent them, I 
could not ; they pass before my mind, and I 
only listen. Now and then my will seems 
aroused when I see ahead how some fine re- 
solution might follow, and I seem to will that 
certain chords should come, and then they 
do come ; but then my will seems suspended 
again, and they go on quite independently. 
It is so interesting, the chords seem to fold 
over each other and die away down into music 
of infinite softness, and then they tenfold and 
open out, as if great curtains were being 
withdrawn one after another, widening the 
view, till, with a gathering power and inten- 
sity and fulness, it seems as if the very skies 
were being opened out before one, and a sort 
of great blaze and glory of music, such as 
my outward ears never heard, gradually 
swells out in perfectly sublime splendor. 



A SKETCH OF HEE LIFE, 



73 



This time there was an added feature: I 
Beemed to hear depths and heights of sound 
beyond the scale which human ears can re- 
ceive, keen, tar-up octaves, like vividly 
twinkling starlight of music, and mighty, 
slow vibrations of gigantic strings going 
down into grand thunders of depths, octaves 
below anything otherwise appreciable as 
musical notes. Then, all at once, it seemed 
as if my soul had got a new sense, and I 
could see this inner music as well as hear it ; 
and then it was like gazing down into mar- 
vellous abysses of sound, and up into daz- 
zling regions of what, to the eye, would 
have been light and color, but to this new 
sense was sound. Wasn't it odd ! It lasted 
perhaps half an hour, but I don't know ex- 
actly, and it is very difficult to describe in 
words." 

Still trials awaited her and sickness was 
her portion, but she could write : — 



" What though today 
Thou canst not trace at all the hidden reason, 
For His strange dealings through the trial season, 

Trust and obey ! 
Though God's cloud mystery enfold thee here, 
In after lite and light all shall be plain and clear." 



, I FRANCES R. HAVERGAI . 

She was seized with typhoid fever, but the 
first day of her sickness she dictated to her 

friend that beautiful piece called "Just as 
Thou wilt. O Master call." A friend writes : 

"Oh, if 1 could only feel as she looked, so 
young, so lovely. 1 am glad 1 saw for once 

that G '- ■ A ray of hope eame 

as she talked with me." She writes herself: 
u All through my long illness 1 was very 
happy ! My one wish was to glorify God 
and to let my doctor and nurse see it : so at 
the very first 1 determined to ask for nothing 
and just obey. 1 never before was. so to 
speak, face to face with, death. It was like 
a look into Heaven, and yet my Heavenly 
Father sent me back again. 1 felt that it 
was His will and so 1 could not be disap- 
pointed." 

Her sister Marie writes : — 

••Only a few days passed of comparative 

recovery, when a relapse set in. and she 
again ill for many weeks. It was really de- 
lightful work to nurse one so patient. - 
thankful, so considerate ; and, when it seem- 
ed needful t - rvants, and send 
tor a nurse, ihey pleaded to be let sit up in 
turn with • dear Miss Frances. * 



A SKETCH 0* HEB LIFE. ' ' } 

"Turning to my note-book 1 find Borne 
, recollections which may be given : — 

»9i i S 7 3 . 

"Sitting by dear Francos she said to me, 
'Isn't he gracious not to send me so severe 
an attack as in November? 1 felt sure the 
night 1 was shivering that illness was coming 
againj and. as 1 lay down, the Bweet con- 
sciousness that 1 was just lying down in His 
dear hand was so stilling. 

"Marie, do you think this simile holds 
good, that when we oast our burden on the 
Lord, at our first pray or He outs the strings 
that bind it on us: then, it' we give a Leap, 
the burden will slide off, and wo shall not go 
on toiling with it up the hill I 1 moan, if we 
just thanked and praised Him. at once the 
burden would be clean gone ! 

M. Were you thinking of the burden o( 
sin, dear? 

/■'. Yes, and other burdens ; specially 
aggravations of things that you have no 
strength to hoar. 

d/. 1 suppose if Ho is carrying tis, then 
He carries our burdens too. 



76 PRANCES R. HAVEBGAL. 

/•'. Yes, thai was our text last night, *I 
will carry'; if carried, no weight on us at 
all. 

M. I think carrying is His first and Last 
act ; when He finds the lost Bheep He lays it 
on I lis shoulder and just carries it (/// the 
way oven into His fold above. It will be nice 
to see Him, Fan ! 

i\ « Nice, 9 1 like that ; but 1 never heard 
any one but you say it just like that, except 
Mary . She once told me of a mission- 
ary and his wife who had reached the end of 
their vovage to India, and were to have 
landed that night hut were prevented; a sud- 
den cyclone arose, and the ship and all in it 
went down instantaneously. Mary added, 
'Was it not nice?' " 

As she was recovering from this severe 
sickness she said to her sister : — 

»* It's no mistake, Marie, about the hle>s- 
ing God sent me Dec, 2, 1873; it is far 
more distinct than my conversion, I ean't 
date that. 1 am always happy, and it is 
such peace : 1 could not help smiling when 
niv kind doctor said, '1 dare sav \ on feel 



A SKETCH OF HEB LIFE. 77 

rather depressed.' I said: i 2^b indeed! 
quite happy, only tired and want to be quiet.' 
Of course I should like to be at work, and 
it seems strange how often 1 am hindered 
from it. You are always pegging away ; but 
I like io think I shall serve llim up there, 
and 1 would rather serve than rest. 
The work I should so like to take up is 
drawing-room Bible readings; I so enjoyed 
one I took down at Booking, but was rather 
startled to see the good folks taking notes! 
You see, I had just overcome the nervous- 
ness I used to feel, and I could so trust about 
this also." 

Another day Frances said: "I think my 
special anticipation oi' Heaven is seeing the 
Lord Jesus exalted, glorified, vindicated, 
reigning King of kings, and all His enemies 
owning' llim. 

M. Have you thought that as, in the 
Gospels, Christ's special manifestations were 
to people when alone, so when we tirst see 
Him in Heaven it will be alone? 

F. YVs, and that is most beautifully 
brought out in Mr. Bickersteth's * Yesterday, 
To-day, and Forever,' it's the very gem of the 



78 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

book. When I read it, and came to where 
the angel leaves him waiting for the King to 
come, I almost trembled as 1 turned the 
page ; for, if Mr. P>. had treated it with a 
light hand, it would have been profane; but 
it's lovely. 

I have been thinking, Marie, how much 
more God gives me than 1 need. Look at 
this illness! Well, except the bearing it, 
there is no other sting in it. 1 feel illness is 
the least trial, and it comes so directly from 
the hand of God. And how kind they all 
arc to me. Wiuterdyne always seems to me 
a sort of millennial household ! " 

Marie writes : — 

"Her recovery was extremely slow, but 
her room was the brightest in the house. At 
last she was carried downstairs, but for some 
time used crutches, \eedle-work for the 
Zenana Missions was a great enjoyment to 
her. Sitting by her one day she told me 
her reasons for giving up singing at the Phil- 
harmonic: 'It is a long time ago that I 
made the choice of singing sacred music 
only, 1 did so some months before I wrote : 

"Take my lips, ami lot me sing, 

Always, only, lor my King. 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 79 

Mark her testimony : — 

" All through my long illness I was very 
happy; the first part was the most painful, 

I think it must have been neuralgia with the 
fever, I don't really think I was impatient 
deep down in my heart, and yet the pain and 
agony I was in made me anxious for the 
poultices, and to try anything. I do think I 
am sensitive to pain, and what was agony to 
me would be slight to others." 

The following letter is deeply interest- 
ing : — 

" Winters yne, February 22,- 1875. 

"Dear Mr. , 

" 1 want to thank you for all your prayers 
for me. Only, only, have the prayers of 
my dear friends held me back from going to 
be with the Beloved One? Or is it that He 
has some more little work for me to do, and 
so has only been richly answering all your 
prayers in the c perfect peace 1 in which He 
has kept me? Oh, He has been so tenderly 
gracious to me ; it has been such gentle, 
faithful lo\ingkindness all through. It seems 



80 PRANCES R.» HAVERGAL. 

worth even coining back from the very 
golden gates if I may but in some way ■ tell 
of His faithfulness.' I do wish people would 
but trust Jesus out and out, and give them- 
selves up utterly to Him ; and then wouldn't 
they find rest to their souls ! But it will be a 
long waiting time yet, 'at least six months,' 
says my doctor, before I may write or do 
anything. But now just see how wonder- 
fully kind He is to me. He has taken my 
will as I gave it to Him, and now I really am 
not conscious of even a wish crossing His 
will concerning me. I seem to be enabled 
to be perfectly satisfied Avith whatever He 
chooses, and it is so nice. This is all of 
Him, otherwise I should fidget and kick ! 
Somehow, of late, I mean for many months, 
He seems not to have allowed the enemy to 
come near me. From the hour my illness 
began I have only had one dark hour, and 
that was when I thought my special prayer, 
1 that this sickness might be for the glory of 
God,' had been denied, for I felt I had not 
'glorified Him in the fires,' because, after I 
had lost all my strength, I could not bear the 
pain without moaning and crying out, and 
showing eagerness t'ov remedies. But He so 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 81 

tenderly assured ino of pardon, and gave me 
k He knoweth our frame,' that oven that cloud 
soon passed. In this second illness lie lias 
mercifully spared me any recurrence of suck 
pain, only laying upon me discomfort enough 
to exercice the patience which has perhaps 
been His chief lesson for me. Perhaps you 
and other dear friends will be disappointed. 
I know you expect that the Master will give 
me new and fuller messages for others after 
all this. But I really do not know what 
He has been teaching me; I do not seem 
conscious (at present) of having gained 
anything for others ; It has been just lying 
fallow. For myself I fee] as if it had inten- 
sified my trust; I do trust Him utterly, and 
feel as if I could not help trusting Him; it 
seems to k come natural' now! And k I will 
fear no evil ' seems a natural sequence ; what 
should I fear? There is no terror in any- 
thing when 'safe in the arms of desus,' and 
nothing can take me out of them. The 
marvellous way in which God has inclined 
you especially, and others too, to pray for 
me does seem such a token of His incompre- 
hensible love to me, that I see I need an 
eternity to praise llim to my heart's con- 



82 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

tent ! Now, clear friend, I am asking Him 
that, somehow, and in His own time, He 
would graciously let me, even me, be the 
means of some new sweet blessing to yon, 
perhaps to your people too, as a tiny return 
for all your loving prayers for me. 

"Do you think that the Lord does show 
unto His servants things which must shortly 
come to pass? It was so strange that, while 
perfectly well and strong in Switzerland, I 
had a constant presentiment that some form 
of physical suffering would be the next step 
in His dealings with me, that His loving 
wisdom would see it needful for me. But I 
had not a vestige o)i fear or shrinking; I 
rather felt 1 could welcome it, if it might but 
make me more 'meet for the Master's use.' 
So 1 was not a bit surprised when the illness 
came. 

•• How infinitely blessed it is to be entirely 
Christ's ! To think that yon and 1 are never 
io have another care or another fear, but 
that Jesus has undertaken simply everything 
for us ! And isn't it grand to have the privi- 
lege oi' being His instruments'? It does 
seem such loving condescension that He 
should use us. 



A SKETCH OF HEB LOPE, 83 

"I don't know when 1 shall gel down- 
stairs: much too weak as yet. Bui I am in 
do hurry, lie will give mo strength at the 
right time. 

"Yours, etc." 



-O" 



84 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 



CHAPTER VII. 

LAMENTING AND TRUSTING. RECOVERING. 

WEIGHT OF GLORY. "SHINING." 

14 She chose Bis service. For the Lord of love 
Had chosen her, and paid the awful price 
For her redemption; and had sought her out, 
And sot her live, and clothed her gloriously, 

And put Hi> royal ring upon her hand. 

And crowns o( Loving-kindness on her head." 

Her sister writes : — 

"In April, 1875, it was thought desirable 

Hint my sister should try change of air; and 
on the 3rd the Winterdyne servants gathered 
round tor farewell words, and she thanked 
them warmly lor all their kindness, adding; 
'It was a great comfort, in my illness, the 
way in which you waited upon me : I Baw 
you never grudged the trouble 1 gave you ; 
///(// would have distressed me. Remember 
God's promises are lor each of you : faith is 
just holding out your hand, and taking them. 
It is what 1 am Learning every day : it makes 



A SKETCH OF HEE LIEE. 85 

me happy, and I want all of you to be al- 
ways happy, trusting in the Lord Jesus.' 

' ' One inscription written in the books she 
gave to them is : * Fanny Hollo way, with the 
writer's warm thanks for her great kindness 
and attention during her illness at Winter- 
dyne, January to April, 1875. "Inas- 
much."' (Matt. xxv. 40.) 

"A short drive to Oakhampton, and there 
all the comforts of her eldest sister's pleas- 
ant home awaited her. 

"Frances' constant consideration for the 
servants, wherever she visited, secured the 
most loving service. Bible readings in the 
servants' halls, kind talks alone, and helpful 
prayers are all remembered. The large ref- 
erence Bibles she gave them are treasured 
remembrances of this visit. She was de- 
lighted when every servant at Oakhampton 
joined the Christian Progress Union." 

(To J. T. W.) 

; ' Oakhampton , April, 1875. 

"Dear Mr. W , 

1 ' I see now ! And the whole thing is 
brightened up splendidly ! I both meant 
myself, and took your remarks to apply, to 



86 FRANCES K. HAVERGAL. 

'fallow* as io Bervioe and preparation for 
service : and so, while 1 read them with great 
interest and pleasure, 1 did not get the full 
benefit of them, because I said, 'Ohyes, but 
I am all right on this point !' But I was all 
wrong on the point you aimed at, and by 
your seoond Letter Int. I see that ' lament- 
ing* and ' trusting ' are not compatible; and 
that, while I fancied I was trusting for every- 
thing, 1 was not trusting as to His spiritual 
dealings with me, and that I might vest as 
satisfied about this as about all else. 

"Yes, I 'could not read His prescription, 1 
but 1 can now take it without trying io spoil 
it. I sco that my growth in grace is //is 
affair, and that Ho is certainly taking care of 
it, even though I dont see it. Only, I am 
st> Borry I did not trust Him perfectly ; it 
makes me feel that I shall henceforth mis- 
trust myself more than ever, and yet trust 
Him more than ever. 

"I am beginning to taste a little hit of the 
real blessedness o\' waiting. One does not 
wait alone, for Wo waits too. Our waiting 
times are His also. 1 have been so delighted 
with the two 'waits* in Isaiah \\\. 18, snrolv 

it implies a fellowship of waiting. 



\ SKETCH OP EIBR LITE. 



S7 



This aborning I opened on Deuteronomy 
sxxii. 2, k M.v s|>imm!» shall distil as thedew.' 
II seemed a direct answer from Him, for one 
does not see the dew fall, one never sees it 
B t all till morning, and then! So perhaps 
llr is speaking to me more than I think \'n\\ 
an d, when the 'afterward' comes, it may be 
that 1 shall find He 1ms said a good deal to 
me after all I Sours ever." 

She writes to a friend : — 

<<This morning 1 read in the Greek, II. 
Cor, iv., and was so wonderingly happy over 
thai % farmore exceeding weight of glory * I 
had Qoj especially notioed the Greek before, 
how magnificently far-reaching and strong it 
is. I suppose 'from -lory to glory' is even 
here and now, and then to go beyond this to 
an eternal weighl of -lory, and then for this 
to be hath wperbolen eia wperbolen is such a 
marvelous leading on of finite thought into 
infinite -lory! It is like one of those flights 
that one now and then takes from planets to 
suns, and suns to star systems and cycles, 
and then away to farthest nebulro, and then 
one sees no end, for imagination and analogy 
goon, till they get lost in infinity. But to 



88 FRANCES R. IIAVERGAL. 

think that we are going' right into all this 
glory, and have actually begun with it, 
having the earnest of the purchased posses- 
sion now, and absolute certainty of ail of it 
before long ! What are flights among stars 
and nebulae compared to this ! I have not 
thought it out, but I feel a connection be- 
tween this and the Greek in Eph. iii. 19." 

(2b MssE. J. Whatehj.) 

June, 1S75. 
••Though I have had plenty of invalided 
times, and of short sharp suffering, this has 
been my very first experience of really 
severe and prolonged illness (since Oc- 
tober) : and 1 do not merely think I might 
to feel, but I do feel, that it was the crown- 
ing blessing of a year of unprecedented bles- 
sing and yet of many trials. 'Great is Thy 
faithfulness ' shines on every day of it : and 
k I will fear no evil' is more than ever a very 
song to me. It was as if, while laying His 
own dear hand ever so heavily upon me, He 
kept the enemy completely at a distance, and 
did not let him even approach me, encom- 
passing me with a wall of tire. . . . For 
three or four weeks I was too prostrate for 



A SKETCH OF II EB QFE. 89 

any consecutive prayer, or for even a text to 
be given me ; and this was the time for real- 
izing what 'silent in love 1 meant (Zeph, iii. 
17). And then it seemed doubly sweet 
when I was again able to 'hold converse' 
with Him. He seemed, too, so often to 
send answers from llis own word with won- 
derful power. One evening, (after a re- 
lapse,) I longed so much to be able io pray, 
but found I was too weak for the least effort 
of thought, and 1 only looked up and said, 
'Lord Jesus, I am so tired !' And then lie 
brought to my mind 'rest in the Lord,' with 
its lovely marginal reading , * be silent to the 
Lord,' and so I just was silent to Him, and 
lie seemed to overflow me with perfect 
peace, in the sense oi' His own perfect love. 
It was worth anything to lie and think that 
it might be really 'the Master's homo call'; 
but 1 do think it was worth almost more to 
find, when the tide turned, that lie had real- 
ly taken the will I had laid at His \Wi, and 
could and did take away all the disappoint- 
ment which I had fancied must be so keen at 
being turned back from the golden gates. 
I was more astonished at finding that He 
could make me quite as glad and willing io 



90 PRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

live and suffer, as to go straight away to 
Heaven, than at anything, I think. And it 
is just the same now. 1 have no idea how 
long I may have to wait, tor (though not 
now ill, hut only invalided"), what with re- 
lapses and results. I am making very slow 
progress, and not likely to he able lor any 
Bort of work lor months yet : hut I do so 
feel the truth of -Messed are they that wait 
tor Him.' It seems a necessary sequence of 
the first part of the verse, 'therefore will the 
Lord wait." for waiting for Him is waiting 
with Him, 1 am breaking rules in writing 
so much, hut I could not help wanting to 
tell you how very kind He has been to me, 
and I don't think any Christian could ho 
more utterly unworthy than I o\' such gentle, 
gracious dealing. I doubted and mistrusted 
Him for so many years, and what 1 used to 
call 'terrible conflict' I now see to have been 
simple unbelief. 

'• . . . It is so nice to meet those with 
whom one is in fall sympathy. One meets 
so many who only go such a little way; I 
mean really Christians, yet taking such faint 
interest in Christ's cause and kingdom, all 
alive as to art, or music, or general on- 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 91 

goings, yet not seeming to feel the music of 
His name. One does so long for all who are 
looking to Him for salvation to be 'truer 
hearted, whole-hearted.' And I have been 
thinking how inevitably such half-hearted 
Christians will be at a disadvantage when 
'He cometh,' as compared with those whose 
whole gladness is from Him only, and whose 
whole interests are centred in His kingdom 
and that which advances it." 

{To a Friend.) 

" Dearest < Little Thing,' — 

" Let the Lord lead you, let Him have you 
altogether. And, dear pet, blessing hardly 
ever comes alone ; if He has the joy of win- 
ning you altogether for Himself, He won't 
stop there, He will do more, He is doing so 
here. I do trust two of the servants are 
resting and trusting, and I quite hope the 
gardener has laid hold on eternal life ; and I 
am expecting more for the angels to rejoice 
over. ... I feel most deeply for you. 
Keep very close to Jesus, my darling, and 
ask Him never to let you take back what 
you have now given Him. Be His entirely, 
without any reserve, and He will be yours 
entirely." 



92 FRANCES B. HAVEEGAL. 

(To C. II) 

"Deab Clement, — 

" You are all alone, so I must send you a 
line. However, you will not tind it very 
dismal in this lovely weather and the bright 
look out of seeing your dear ones. Last 
evening I was at a young women's meeting, 
and asked to sing, so 1 prayed the dear Mas- 
ter wotdd let me bring them a message of 
song from Himself. There are so many 'all 
for Jesus' Christians here. Seriously, dear 
Clement, if that is indeed our heart's motto, 
we tind that Jesus is all for us, and all in all 
to us. I hit upon two little texts yesterday 
which tit ted together beautifully. First, a 
prayer, ■ V>o Thou for me, O Lord,' did you 
ever notice it? * do Thou,' just whatever 
wants doing for us or in us, just whatever we 
cannot do at all for ourselves. Then, if we 
really pray this, we shall follow it up with 
•God that performeth all things for me!' 
Think of JERs simply doing everything for 
you and me. AVhat can we wish merer 

•'Your loving aunt." 

As she recoverd she wrote : — 



A BKEtOH OF UF.K LIFE. 9fl 

"I can do a little, write an hour or two, 
Bee one or two people, sing one song, go lo 
ohuroh once on Sunday, and subside all the 
res! oi' the day. The following just ex- 
presses it : — 

1 1 :iin not eager, bold, or strong, 

All that Is past ; 
I'm ready not to do, 

At last, at last, 
My half day** work is almost done, 

' lis all my part ; 
I bring my God 

A patient heart.' 

For 1 am quite satisfied to do half day's 
work henceforth, it' He pleases, and well 1 
may be when 1 have plenty of proof that He 
can make a half /tour* work worth a whole 
day's it' He will: yes, or half a minute's 
either l M 

I quote the following from " Loyal Re- 
sponses. " 

"SHINING. 

i. 
M Are you shining for Jesus, dear one? 
Yon have given your heart to Him; 
Bui is the light Btrong within it, 

Or is it bm pale and dim? 
Can < r ( rybody see it, — 
That Jesus is all to you? 



94 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

That your love to him is burning 
With radiance warm and true? 

Is the seal upon your forehead, 
So that it must be known 

That you are ' All for Jesus,' — 
That your heart is all His own? 

ii. 

■ Are you shining for Jesus, dear one, 

So that the holy light 
May enter the hearts of others 

And make them glad and bright? 
Have you spoken a word for Jesus, 

And told to some around, 
Who do not (.-are about Him, 

What a Saviour you have found? 
Have you lilted the lamp for others, 

That has guided your own glad feet? 
Have you echoed the loving message, 

That seemed to you so sweet?" 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 05 



CHAPTEE Vm. 

TURNED LESSON SANCTIFICATION STILL 

TRIED — CONFESSION TRUE-HEARTED. 

" Was it not kinder the task to turn, 
Than to let it pass, 
As a lost, lost leaf that she did not learn? 

Is it not often so, 

That we only learn in part, 
And the Master's testing-time may show 

That it was not quite ' by heart ' ? 
Then He gives, in His wise and patient grace, 

That lesson again 
With the mark still set in the self -same place." 

Her sister writes : — 

' ' There were many ' turned lessons ' in my 
dear sister's life to which no clue can be 
given in these Memorials ; but we may here 
refer to one testing-time. Very patiently 
had she prepared for press many sheets of 
manuscript music in connection with the 
Appendix to ' Songs of Grace and Glory.' 



96 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

Well do I remember the day it was com- 
pleted. We were at home, and she came 
down from her study with a large roll for 
post, and with holiday glee exclaimed, 
* There it is all done ! and now I am free to 
write a book ! ' Only a week passed, when 
the post brought her the news : * Messrs. 
Henderson's premises were burned down this 
morning about four o'clock. We fear the 
whole of the stereotypes of your musical 
edition are destroyed, as they were busy 
printing it. It will be many days before the 
debris will be sufficiently cooled to ascertain 
how the stereotype plates stand.' 

' * Further news confirmed the loss : * Your 
musical edition, together with the paper 
sent for printing it, has been totally de- 
stroyed.' On the same sheet Frances wrote 
to her sisters in Worcestershire : — 

" 'The signification hereof to me is that, 
instead of having finished my whole work, I 
have to begin again de novo, and I shall prob- 
ably have at least six months of it. The 
greater part of the manuscript of my Ap- 
pendix is simply gone, for I had kept no 
copy whatever, and have not even a list of 
the tunes ! Every chord of my own will 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 97 

have to be reproduced ; every chord of any 
one else re-examined and revised. All 
through my previous ' ' Songs of Grace and 
Glory" work, and my own books, I had 
always taken the trouble to copy off every 
correction on to a duplicate proof ; but, finding 
I never gained any practical benefit, I did 
not (as I considered) waste time in this case ! 
Of most of the new work, which has cost 
me the winter's labor, I have not even a 
memorandum left, having sent everything to 
the printers. However it is so clearly ' ' Him- 
self hath done it," that I can only say " Thy 
way not mine, O Lord." - I only tell you 
how the case stands, not as complaining of 
it, only because I want you to ask that I may 
do what seems drudgery quite patiently, and 
that I may have health enough for it, and 
that He may overrule it for good. It may 
be that He has more to teach me, before He 
sets me free to write the two books to which 

N alludes, and which I hoped to have 

begun directly. Perhaps they will be all the 
better because I cannot now write them for 
next season. Thus I am suddenly shut off 
from the bright stream of successful writing, 
and stopped in all my own plans for this 



98 FRANCES K. HAVERGAL. 

spring, and bid work a few months longer in 
the shade at what is to me special exercise 
of quiet patience. ... I have thanked 
Him for it more than I have prayed about it- 
It is just what He did with me last year, it is 
another turned lesson, I had mourned over 
not hearing pain in my first illness, and so 
lie gave me another opportunity of learning 
the lesson by sending me another painful ill- 
ness, at Winterdyne, instead of giving me 
up as a hopeless pupil ; and now I have been 
eager to get done with "Songs of Grace and 
Glory" that I might hurry on to begin work 
oi' my own choosing and planning, and so 
lie is giving me the opportunity over again 
of doing it more patiently, and oi' making it 
the "willing service" which 1 don't think it 
was before. If I could not rejoice in letting 
Him do what He will with me, when He 
thus sends me such very marked and indivi- 
dual dealing, 1 should feel that my desire for 
sanctitieation, for His will to he done in me, 
had been merely nominal, or fancied and not 
real.'" 



Mark her confession in the following let- 
ter :— 



A SKETCH OF TIER LIFE. 09 

(To Miss E. J. Whately.) 

44 One must be an infidel not to sec God's 
hand upon one, most distinctly, in such a 
unit tor as this. But it was very good of 
Him to give me the opportunity of Learning 

the unlearnt lessons, and of offering, as more 
willing service, what had been unwilling. 
I must tell you, however, how overwhelm- 
ingly gracious lie has been to me the last few 
days, quite startling me. I thought it had 
been such a useless spring, that I had not 
been allowed to be any Bervice to any one. 
Then all at once, during three days, a num- 
ber of notes poured in upon me, quite aston- 
ishing me with telling that I had been made 
such real use and blessing, in some oases 
quite unconsciously, in others where I 
thought my efforts had produced little or no 
effect. Now, is not this enough io make 
one's heart overflow with praise? It has 
been a most sweet Lesson of trust, and of 
more simple and absolute dependence on 
Him. He has taken me into His hands afresh. 
No, it has not been all tor Him of late; I 
don't mean anything definite, but breaches 
in the enclosure, made not by any outward 



100 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

foe or even fc the religious world,' but by self, 
which I wanted to be crushed out of me, 
that He might take its place wholly. 1 think 
that has been the 'something between,' and 

it has dimmed not only the inner brightness, 
but the free-hearted testimony. It is so 
utterly horrid not to have been all for Him. 
J do feel ready to say k sinners, of whom /am 
chief,' and no expressions of self bemoaning 
are too strong for me. lie has been so mueh 
to me, so very, very gracious ; and yet I 
have wandered, without knowing it except 
by finding that lie withdrew 7 the brightness 
o\' I lis shining, graciously so, because I felt 
the chill ; and yet, at times, off and on, it 
has even o\' late been very bright, very hap- 
py, only it has not been the steady and 
growing brightness. Thank you very mueh 
for telling me how it is with you : that helps, 
because I have to do with the i same Jesus.' 
I want Him to prove me to the very depths, 
to 'search and try' and cleanse entirely. I 
am glad He did not set me free to write. I 
distinctly believe it to be His holding me 
back from teaching before I am taught? I 
am so grateful for your letter, it is so good 
o( Him to put it into your heart to watch 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 101 

over me. Will you pray forme? I imag- 
ined I bad thought much of the 'keep,' as 
well as of the ' take,' but I have not lived it 
somehow. I know you must feel disappoint- 
ed with me ; I have not ' run well ' as you 
hoped, but don't give me up and throw me 
overboard altogether, pray for me, and 
< watch over me ' still for the dear Master's 
sake, for I know He has not thrown me over- 
board, and oh / do love Him. Thanks for 
the card ; I thought it ivas « none of self and 
all of Thee.' I have immense temptations. 
I don't mean that as any excuse, only it is 
so ; temptations to self seeking and self com- 
placency, etc. ; and I am made too much of, 
looked up to by plenty who should rather 
look down on me, both here and by strang- 
ers ; and I thought I was on my guard 
against it all ; and yet I see it has insensibly 
undermined the 'enclosure,' even though I 
have been having exceptionally great out- 
ward privileges. I wonder whether one 
thing has been wrong ! I have been, for 
some time, nearly every day giving half an 
hour to careful reading of Shakespeare : I 
felt as if I rather wanted a little intellectual 
bracing, as if something of contact with m- 



102 FRANCES E. IIAVEEGAL. 

teUect were necessary to prevent my getting 
into a weak and wishy-washy kind of thought 
and language. I like intellects to rub against, 
and have no present access to books which 
would do it ; so I bethought myself of seeing 
what Shakespeare would do for me, and I 
think my motive was really that I might pol- 
ish my own instruments for the Master's use. 
But there is so much that is entirely of the 
earth earthy, amid all the marvellous genius 
and even the sparkles of the highest truth 
which flash here and there, so much that 
jars upon one's spirit, so much that is 
downward instead of upward : that it has 
crossed me whether I am not trusting an 
arm of flesh in seeking intellectual benefit 
thus. Yet, on the other hand, if one admits 
the principle, one would throw over all means 
as to study and mental culture, and it does 
really seem as a rule as if God endorsed 
those means, and uses cultivated powers, and 
only very exceptionally uses the uncultured 
ones. 

1 ' Yours gratefully . " 

The following letter shows her faithfulness 
to her friends : — 



A SKETCH OF HER LrFE. 103 



My Deab 



"As I have already had one bad night, 
and several troubled wakings, all about you, 
I had better get it off my mind. I write to 
you as one who is really wanting to follow 
Jesus altogether, really wanting to live and 
speak exactly according to His commands 
and His beautiful example ; and when this is 
the standard, what seems a little thing, or 
nothing at all, to others, is seen to be sin, 
because it is disobeying His dear word and 
not ' following fully: < Whatsoever ye would 
that men should do unto you, do ye even so 
to them.' 

"Now, darling, be true to yourself, and 
to Him, as to these His own words. Would 
you like any one to retail, and dwell upon, 
little incidents which made you appear weak, 
tiresome, capricious, foolish? Yet, dear, 
everything whieh we say of another which 
we would not like them to say of us, (unless 
said with some right and pure object which 
Jesus Himself would approve,) is trangres- 
sion of this distinct command of our dear 
Lord's, and therefore sin, — sin whieh needs 
nothing less than His blood to cleanse, sin 
in whieh we indulge at our peril and to the 



104 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

certain detriment of our spiritual life. And 
Jesus hears every word, and sees, to the 
depth, the want of real conformity to His 
own loving spirit, from which they spring. 
Do not think I am condemning you without 
seeing my own failures. It is just because 
it is a special battle-field of my own that I 
am the more pained and quick to feel it, 
when others, who love Jesus, yield to the 
temptation or do not see it to be temptation. 
I know the temptation it is to allow oneself 
to say things which one would not say if the 
person were present, yes, and if Jesus were 
visibly present. And I have seen and felt 
how even a momentary indulgence in the 
mildest forms of 'speaking evil,' which is so 
absolutely forbidden, injures one's own soul, 
and totally prevents clear, unclouded com- 
munion with Jesus. So I want you to rec- 
ognize and shun and resolutely and totally 
4 put away ' this thing. 

' ' I should not write all this but that I long 
for your eyes to be opened to the principle, 
for others' sakes, for your own soul's sake, 
and for Christ's sake. I want you to pray 
over it, to search bravely to the bottom, and 
to put it all into the hands of Jesus, that He 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 105 

may not only forgive but cleanse, and so fill 
you with His love that it (and nothing else) 
may overflow into all your words, that He 
may 'make you to increase and abound in 
love ... to the end He may establish 
your heart unblameable in holiness.' Oh, if 
you knew how I pray for this for myself, you 
would not wonder at my anxiety about it for 
you and for others ! So don't be vexed with 
"Yours ever lovingly." 

Her sister writes : — 

"June, 1876. 

"During a visit to her brother Frank, at 
Upton Bishop Vicarage, she was much in- 
terested in his schools and cottages. Every 
day she went about from house to house, 
reading the Bible and telling in simple words 
of God's love in sending Jesus Christ to save 
sinners. 

"In one instance, at a garden party, my 
sister's happy face attracted a young stran- 
ger, so that she sought conversation with her. 
Often have I been told : ' F. R. H. looks so 
really happy, she must have something we 
have not.' (With the utmost skill, no artist 



106 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

or photograph gives a real idea of her 
lighted up expression. Is it because soul 
cannot be represented any more than a sun- 
beam?) And my pen fails, too, in giving 
an idea to strangers of her sunny ways, mer- 
rily playing with children, and heartily 
enjoying all things. But her deep sympathy 
with others' joys and sorrows, and her loyal 
longings that all should know the 'joy un- 
speakable and full of glory,' were the secret 
of her influence with others. 

"I may mention that her singing from 
Handel's 'Messiah,' accompanying herself 
on her brother's organ, after service on her 
last Sunday evening at Upton Bishop, will 
long be remembered by all who heard. The 
old parish clerk remarked, 'I never heard 
the like of that before.' Frances then be- 
came the first contributor to a fund for erect- 
ing a vestry. Since her death it has been 
determined that this vestry shall be specially 
'in memory of F. R. H.' Her brother has 
also had her name cast in a new treble bell, 
thus completing the peal of six." 

In the following letter to a faithful friend 
she makes some humble confessions of some 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 107 

wavering in her consecration. I. refer to it 
that the reader may have a true view of her 
character : — 

"Your letter sent me straight to my 
knees. I have been putting it all into my 
Saviour's hands. I don't feel cured. He has 
taken me into his hands afresh. No, it has 
not been all for Him of late. I do not mean 
anything definite, but there have been breaches 
in the enclosure ; made, not by any outward 
foe or even by 'the relgious world,' but by 
self; which I wanted to have crushed out of 
me, that He might fill its place wholly. I 
think there has been something between, 
and it has dimmed not only the inner bright- 
ness but the free-hearted testimony. It is 
so utterly horrid not to have been all for Him. 
I do feel ready to say ' Sinners, of whom I 
am chief,' and no expressions of self be- 
moaning are too strong for me. He has been 
so much to me, so very, very gracious, and 
yet I have wandered without knowing it, 
except by finding that He withdrew the 
brightness of His shining, graciously so, 
because I felt the chill; and yet, at times, it 
has been very bright, very happy, only it 



108 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

has not been the steady and glowing bright- 
ness. 

" 1 am glad He did not set me free to 
write. I distinctly believe it to be Him 
holding me back from teaching before I 
myself had been taught. I have great temp- 
tations to self-complacency and to self-seek- 
ing. I am made too much of." 

Mark the following from * ' Loyal Re- 
sponses : " — 



" True-hearted, whole-hearted, faithful and loyal, 
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be ! 
Under Thy standard, exalted and loyal, 

Strong in Thy strength we will battle for Thee ! 



II. 



" True-hearted, whole-hearted! fullest allegiance, 
Yielding henceforth to our glorious King; 
Valiant endeavor and loving obedience, 
Freely and joyously now would we bring. 



in. 



True-hearted ! Saviour, Thou our Story ; 

Weak are the hearts that we lay at Thy feet, 
Sinful and treacherous ! yet for Thy glory, 

Heal them and cleanse them from sin and deceit.' 



A SKETCH OF HER LITE. 109 



CHAPTER IX. 

LABORING IN SWITZERLAND. PRUNING. 

THY WILL BE DONE. "PERFECT 

PEACE." 

Miss Frances went to Switzerland for a 
long rest, but she went immediately to work 
for her loving Master. 

Her sister Marie writes : — 



"Year after year, my dear sister had 
pressed me to take a long rest in Switzer- 
land ; and so, on July 6th, 1876, we left 
England, via Dieppe, for Lausanne. That 
delightful journey ! her sisterly care and un- 
selfishness in revisiting well known places 
just to give me the pleasure ! It was with 
difficulty I persuaded her to go to any new 
scenes for herself. From Montreux she went 
up to < Les Avants ' to visit her < delightful 
friend,' Miss E. J. Whately. From Vern- 



110 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

ayaz we went to a quiet pension at Fins 
Haut, en route to Argentiere. Sunday came, 
and the sight of crowds of peasants passing 
by our door to early mass suggested the 
desire to try a Bible address for them in the 
afternoon. Valerie, the daughter of our 
host, had been so fascinated by my sister's 
singing that, with the promise that M'lle. 
would sing to the meeting, she threw herself 
heartily into the arrangement. Three o'clock 
was the time fixed, but an hour before 
several maidens assembled, so we set them 
to copy out a French hymn Frances had just 
written, thereby fixing its truths on their 
memory; and they then practised it as a 
Choir. Frances shall tell the rest : " — 

{To J. T. W.) 

' ' About thirty or forty came ; some re- 
mained in a room behind our folding doors, 
these came from curiosity and would not 
come inside, and there was laughing and 
talking, evidently led by the priest's servant 
who was there for no good ! First I sang to 
them, and then got the iiirls to ioin in the 
hymn they had copied out. Then I read 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. Ill 

some passages from Romans, and Marie 
spoke to them beautifully (in French) on 
Romans vi. 23, and afterwards prayed. 

" A few went away as soon as I began to 
read, there was evidently some opposition. 
Even those who seemed really to wish to 
hear were evidently hindered by the total 
novelty of the whole thing : an intensified 
form of the hindrance which I told you I felt 

existed when I first sang at N . You 

will wonder what I sang ! Well, I had been 
singing snatches of hymns to myself, and 
especially ' Only for Thee,' and found this 
gave immense gratification in our little pen- 
sion ; so I thought God could as well give 
me French as English, if He would, and I 
set to and wrote * Settlement pour Toi ! ' (as 
they had liked the tune so much) . Only it 
is quite a different hymn, making prominent 
the other side, He and He only is and does 
all for us. We come to the Father ' only by 
Thee,' place our trust ' only in Thee'; re- 
taining merely a few lines of the ' only for 
Thee,' as it is useless to teach ' only for Thee' 
till one has seen 'only by Thee.' I also 
wrote a free imitation of ' Will ye not come ? ' 
and part of another. I could write quite 



112 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL, 

easily in French verse ! so it may be I shall 
have to do some more in this direction, a 
totally new opening ! 

"Marie had had the priest himself strong- 
ly on her mind all the week ; and, not having 
the smallest tear of man, actually went and 
called en him ! with the excuse of borrowing 
a French Bible, and asking him to see if my 
verses were correct. Jus1 imagine going to 
4 M. le Cure 4 ' for a Bible, and lor revision of 
Protestant hymns! He was very courteous, 
and Marie relieved her mind entirely ; told 
him how happy she was in Christ, and what 
was the secret of peace and joy. He did not 

attempt controversy, and seemed interested, 

hut only assented to all she said, so that she 
could not gel him to open out. 

,k As for taking readings myself, the pros- 
pect seems to recede. Even taking part in 
this little meeting seemed to throw me back. 
For years, 1 have always Buffered from any 

work of the kind, and then been made unable 
for my own more special work, as I never 
produce a. line when overdone. And I find 
more distinctly, here, that I have not any- 
thing like my former strength, and even 
three weeks (by which time other years I 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 113 

have got into tip-top training) have not 
brought me up to where I used to start from. 
All the old elasticity and physical strength 
are gone. I don't feel the * atmospheric sal- 
volatile,' and go out on the freshest of Swiss 
mornings feeling up to nothing instead of 
equal to anything! Yet it is thirtpen months 
since I was really cured from my illness." 

She was as a shining light wherever she 
went. Many will rise up and call her bles- 
sed, from this land of her visitation ! Mark 
the following letter to her sister : — 

"I feel sure that God led us to Champery 
that we might meet your dear sister Frances. 
Oh, I cannot tell what a blessing she was to 
me there. I always looked for those fair 
curls ; and the saloon seemed desolate if I 
could not hear her voice and often merry 
laugh. She was so happy and whole-hearted, 
and she spoke to me of the Lord Jesus, and 
the joy of being altogether and only His. 
Yes, it was on the balcony at Champery that 
a new life and love seemed lighted up in my 
soul. Even as she was speaking to me I felt 
that, with God's grace, I must take the same 



114 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

step she had, and henceforth live • only for 
Jesus.' That was indeed turning over a per- 
fectly new and bright page in my life." 

Her sister writes : — 

"As soon as strength was given we re- 
turned to England, in October. 

-•I well remember when Frances first 
thought of writing 'My King.' We were 
returning from Switzerland. Her illness 
there had quite hindered any writing, and 
she seemed to regret having no hook ready 
for Christmas. It was October 21st, we had 
passed Oxford station, on out way to Win- 
terdyne, and 1 thought she was dozing, when 
she exclaimed, with that herald flash in her 
eye. 'Marie ! 1 see it all, I can write a little 
hook, "My King.'" and rapidly went through 
divisions for thirty-one chapters. The set- 
ting snn shone on her face; and, even then, 
it seemed to me she could not he far distant 
from the land oi' the King. Illness came on 
again, accompanied by severe suffering, yet 
the hook was quickly written and published. 
We may regard the pages in ■ My King,' as 
the fruit of her patiently taking back 'the 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 115 

turned lesson,' which prevented her writing 
for so many months. The following letters 
of this period speak for themselves." 

" Leamington. 

' ' I send you a prayer which I heard yes- 
terday, and which has been arising from my 
heart ever since. 'Lord, take my lips and 
speak through them, take my mind and tit ink 
through it, take my ' heart and set it on fire ! ' 
Quite possible for Him to do, though it 
seems so much to ask. I am asking it ; you 
ask it to. Christ's words, Christ's thoughts, 
Christ's love, not our own any more ! How 
He does love you, how His very chastening 
proves it ! He has not let you alone, and 
* Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest.' 
So, the very sense of the reality of chasten- 
ing proves the reality that you are 'blessed,' 
and ' I wot that he whom Thou blessest is 
blessed.' Only think that you are to 'come 
forth as gold.' I wonder what He will do 
with His gold when He does bring it forth ! 
AVe shall see. He never would thus deal 
with you, if He had not some very special 
ends to reach. Trust on ; He is worthy of 
all trust, isn't He?" 



116 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

{To J. T. W.) 

"November, 1876. 

"This has been a slight edition of my 
previous illness, but it will be some weeks 
before I am really as strong as usual. That 
long illness in 1874 has so weakened me, 
besides seeming to have left a curious liabil- 
ity to fever, which has returned so many 
times. But I am not troubled about the 
'fallow,' and your words, 'The Lord is 
right, you can trust Him I know,' have not 
done chiming yet ! Just before this last at- 
tack I was in my sister's conservatory watch- 
ing the gardener cut off every bunch he could 
find upon a splendid vine. He has been 
training it for twelve years, never let it bear 
even one bunch of fruit for two years, and 
now it is 200 feet long in the main stem 
alone, and 400 feet with the principal 
branches. He has pruned off a thousand 
bunches this spring. « And what do you ex- 
pect it to bear, by and by ? ' ' Four hundred- 
weight of grapes ! and, please God, I live to 
manage it, it will be the finest vine in the 
county.' He was having long patience for 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 117 

fourteen years with this choice vine, and I 
suppose my Husbandman's waiting with me 
won't be as many months, so that is not a 
very long trial of trust. 'My faithful 
Saviour!' That seemed my one thought 
while awake last night, I was delighted one 
day on noticing the Greek of Jude 24, aptai- 
stous 'without stumbling,' let alone without 
falling! ..." 

" No, I am not « basking in the sunshine ; ' 
it is not bright and vivid. I seem too tired, 
somehow, for brightness ; but it is not dark 
either. I know He is faithful, and I am 
learning and resting. I think I miss out- 
ward helps and privileges, and -having no 
direct work for Christ; I know this is all 
right too, so I am not fidgeting about it. I 
was able before this attack to go twice to 
church, a short afternoon service; but the 
preacher's chief lesson, from Luke xxiv., was 
that Jesus couldn't be always with us, and 
that we must expect Him to speedily vanish 
out of our sight whenever we did get one of 
the rare glimpses of His presence ! So it 
wasn't very enlivening, but I was glad indeed 
that I knew better ! Oh, I am so glad that 
'alway' (Matt, xxviii. 20) means always, 



118 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

and that 'never' (Heb. xiii. 5) means not 
ever and not ' only sometimes, * which is really 
about as much as I used practically to take 
the words for ! But the ' alway ' and the 
'never' are always now for us, and I believe 
them now just as they stand. And so, 
whether the day is dull or bright, and 
whether my eyes are heavy or clear, I know 
Jesus is with me. What a difference it does 
make, doesn't it? . . . I think 'The 
Thoughts of God,' printed in The Sunday 
Magazine, is the very best poem I ever 
wrote ; but I have not heard one word about 
its doing anybody any real good. It's gen- 
erally something that I don't think worth 
copying out or getting printed (like 'I did 
this for Thee,' and ' Take my life') that God 
sees fit to use." 

A few gleanings from letters to her friend 

Mary F embody some miscellaneous 

thoughts, and may fitly close this chapter : — 

"Psalm lx. 4: 'Thou hast given a ban- 
ner to them that fear Thee.' Then He has 
given it to } r ou. Don't keep it furled. What 
is its device ? what is its motto ? See if you 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. li9 

come to the same conclusion I have. And 
may we not take 'the Truth' personally? 
(John xiv. 6.) It must be the breeze of the 
Spirit which waves its often drooping folds. 
Pray that it may be displayed faithfully and 
bravely by yourself and your friend. 

"Jeremiah xxxi. 14: 'My people shall 
be satisfied with My goodness.' Do this and 
similar promises refer to this life ? do they 
not group themselves with ' I shall be satis- 
fied when I awake with Thy likeness ' ? Look 
at John iv. 14 in Greek : ' shall never thirst ; ' 
does not that rather imply futurity ? Yet I 
should like to know whether any, except 
such as are already in the land of Beulah, 
can say that. Still, present or future, there 
it stands and cannot pass away, being His 
word, His own word, 'My people shall be 
satisfied.' 

" ' Thy will be done.' In applying this to 
sorrow, trial, and disappointment, do we not 
forget the brighter pendants to this tear- 
dropped jewel? * This is the will of God, 
even your sanctification.' 'Father, I will 
that they, whom Thou hast given Me, be 
with Me where I am.' Also Ephesians i. 5, 
Galatians i, 4, and many other instances-. 



120 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

" ' When thou passest through the waters I 
will be with thee.' Really and truly with 
you, even if the rushing of the waters seems 
to deafen and blind you for the moment, so 
that you cannot see or hear Him. 

6 'Hebrews xii. 2: 'Afterward it yield- 
eth,' singular not plural, and therefore defi- 
nite and applying to each separate trial ; ' it 
yieldeth.' So one need only wonder what 
afterward, not wonder whether! 

"'Hitherto,' 'henceforth.' The Chris- 
tian's whole course in two words." 

I favor the reader with another quotation 
from "Loyal Responses :" — 

'•PERFECT PEACE. 



" Like a river glorious 
Is God's perfect peace, 
Over all victorious 

In its bright increase. 
Perfect— yet it floweth 

Fuller every day ; 
Perfect— yet it groweth 
Deeper all the way. 
Chorus.— Stayed upon Jehovah, 
Hearts are fully blest, 
Finding, as He promised, 
Perfect peace and rest. 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 121 



11 Hidden in the hollow 
Of His blessed hand, 
Never foe ean follow, 
Never traitor stand. 
Not a surge of worry, 
Not a shade of care, 
Not a blast of hurry, 
Touch the spirit there. 
Chorus. — Stayed upon Jehovah, 

Hearts are fully blest. 

Finding, as lie promised, 

Perfect peace and rest. 

m. 

"Every joy or trial 
Falleth from above, 
Traced upon our dial 

By the Sun of Love. 
We may trust Him solely 

All for us to do ; 
They who trust Him wholly, 
Find Him wholly true. 
Chorus.— Stayed upon Jehovah, 
Hearts are fully blest, 
Finding, as He promised, 
Perfect peace and rest.' : 



122 FRANCES R. IIAVERGAL. 



CHAPTER X. 



MINISTRY OF FAIN. HER INNER LIFE RE- 
VEALED. — FAITH AND PATIENCE. STILL 



" I am so weak, dear Lord, T cannot stand 
Ono moment without Thee! 
But oh! the tenderness of Thine enfolding, 

And oh ! the strength of Thy right hand ! 
That strength is enough for me ! " 

We have seen that Miss Havergul kept no 
diary through the greater part of her life. 
Still she constantly wrote letters to her many 
friends, and these show the inner workings 
of her heart and mind. These letters make 
a rich legacy and are deeply instructive and 
profitable. 

She writes : — 

" November, 1876. 

"Isn't it odd I should be hors cle combat 
just now? And yet it is stranger still not to 
feel even the least temptation to say 'how 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 123 

excessively provoking ! ' as I should have 
been saying three years ago ; so everything 
only proves how real the peace of God is. 
I have not a fear or a flutter, not a care or 
anxiety, for time or eternity, and I know this 
is not nature, for the natural thing to me 
would be to fidget as to both present and 
prospective health, neither being very cheer- 
ing ! But the Lord is right, as you wrote 
me ; only, I have not the vivid joy of De- 
cember 1873, and I am very much inclined 
to say < Where is the blessedness I knew?' 
But then I have deeper experience in several 
respects, and anyhow I have made trial of 
His love." 

(ToF.A. S.) 

" November 1 7. 

"Just a loving line for your birthday, 

dear F , and fondest wishes for every 

blessing; yes, 'all spiritual blessings' (see 
Eph. i. 3). 

"I feel so inclined to send you, instead of 
a proper 'birthday text,' a word which I 
never noticed till lately, and which has 
struck me very much in connection with 
your saying you had not thought before of 
'do y e even so to them' as an absolute com- 



124 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

rnand. It is I. Chronicles xxviii. 8, 'Keep, 
and seek for, all the commandments,' etc. 
(look at it !) You see we are not merely to 
keep what we know of, and what lie on the 
surface of His law, but to 'seek for all.' 
And verily this is no hard lines, for more 
and more I see that 'in keeping of them 
there is great reward' even in this life. 
Don't you think this would be a good and 
helpful aim for the year? I mean, God help- 
ing me, to take it as such for myself; and as 
it was new to me, it may be so for you too. 
Don't shrink from finding hitherto unrecog- 
nized commands ; He only * commands for 
our good ' ; let us shrink rather from living 
in unknown disobedience to any. 'Blessed 
are they that do His commandments ' ; may 
that blessedness be really yours and mine." 

(To Elizabeth Clay.) 

"Shall we not find that all parts of our 
lives will prove to have been training for 
whatever is our truest work even on earth, 
and also for the Heavenly service to which 
one, more and more, looks forward? But 
the bits of wayside work are very sweet. 



A SKETCH OF HEE LIFE. 125 

Perhaps the odd bits, when all is done, will 
really come to more than the seemingly 
greater pieces ! the chance conversations with 
rich or poor, the seed sown in odd five min- 
utes, even the tables-d'-hote for me, and the 
rides and friends' tables for you. It is nice 
to know that the King's servants are always 
really on duty, even while some can only 
stand and wait. Your going to India seems 
a very special 'boring of the ear.' How 
curiously your path and mine have diverged ; 
your going to do great things for God, and I 
able for less and less. My hope that, at last 
this winter, I might be allowed one Bible 
class at home is uncertain; ditto my choir 
practice, as I am to avoid cold and fatigue. 
Everybody is so sorry for me except myself ! 
For the same peace which will be yours in 
work will be mine in waiting ; and the very 
fact of having a busy and active nature, with 
no proclivity for dolce far niente, seems to 
make the rest under God's felt restraints so 
much the more really His doing." 

{To the same.) 

1877. 
"Best wishes for your first birthday in 
India, and I. Chronicles iv. 23, 'there they 



126 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

dwelt with the King for His work,' '•there' 
is Amritsur for you. How specially it is for 
His work that you are there ! I send you a 
lovely little book by Miss Elliott. . . . 
I feel how very precious your time will be in 
acquiring the language ; and, if you spent an 
hour writing to me, I should feel like David 
did about the water of the well at Bethle- 
hem. I have but little physical strength ; 
perhaps He withholds the active service ; and 
also I see His wisdom in, all along, having 
held me back from any chance of Confer- 
ences, or hearing any speakers of any sort 
for several years past (with the sole excep- 
tion of the Mildmay Conference in 1874). 
For, if I had, I should have learnt from man, 
and should almost necessarily have echoed 
what I heard from others, in what I write." 

The following is excellent on the mystery 
of pain. 

{To .) 

"I think that, during certain stages of 
Christian life and experience, pain is always 
a mystery. And so long it is a grand trial 
of trust in God's perfect wisdom and love 
and rightness. ' His work is perfect ' : Deut. 



A SKETCH OF HEK LIFE. 127 

xxxii. 4. (But wait patiently till you have 
had, first, some years of pastoral work, and, 
second, some personal experience of great 
pain ; and then you will see.) To myself the 
whole thing is as clear as sunshine, but ten- 
fold clearer since the intense pain through 
which He has led me of late. I would not 
have foregone that teaching for anything ! 

"I. Pain, as to outsiders, is no mystery 
when looked at in the light of God's holi- 
ness, and in the light of Calvary. The 
deeper our views of and hatred of sin (as 
the Holy Spirit's teaching in our hearts pro- 
gresses) , the more clear will all that is con- 
nected with sin become ; and as, had there 
been no sin there would have been no pain, 
it is all, and more than all, deserved. I can 
say for myself that I feel I have deserved 
the very suffering of hell for my transgres- 
sion of the first great commandment of 
the law, ('Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God,' etc.,) and for my sin of unbelief. 

It is, further, a real proof of God's love. 
He cannot (being Love) enjoy the sight of 
suffering, it must be as much worse to Him 
than to you, as He is infinitely greater and 
more loving than you ! And yet He inflicts 



128 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

or permits it, that He may rouse, and warn, 
and check, and save. What thousands have 
blessed Him for the pain that came like a 
rough hand catching them as they fell over a 
precipice, hurting and pinching their very 
flesh, but saving their lives ! In how many 
ways a skilful doctor gives pain, that he may 
prevent much greater and worse suffering ! 
At the same time, I am quite sure that with 
very, very rare exceptions bodily pain, 
though far more trying to witness, is not 
anything to compare with mental pain, and 
it leaves no sting or scar, as almost every 
other form of real trial must do. (I am 
perhaps in a specially good position to judge 
of this point, because all my doctors agree 
in saying that, from my unusually finely 
strung nerves, I am and always shall be 
peculiarly sensitive to physical pain, and feel 
it far more keenly than ordinary people.) 

"II. Pain as to God's own children, is, 
truly and really, only blessing in disguise. 
It is but His chiselling, one of His graving 
tools, producing the likeness to Jesus for 
which we long. I never yet came across a 
suffering (real) Christian who could not 
thank Him for pain ! Is not this a strong 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 129 

and comforting fact? I do not say that 
they always do so, during the very moments 
of keenest pain, though much more often 
than not I think they are able to do this ; 
but, certainly, they do deliberately praise 
Him for it afterwards. I think one must 
pass through it for oneself before one can 
fully realize the actual blessedness of suffer- 
ing ; meanwhile, you may well take the tes- 
timony of those who have. Its conscious 
effects are to give one deeper feeling of one's 
entire weakness and helplessness, (a lesson 
which we are all slow to learn in health,) and 
of the real nothingness of earthly aims and 
comforts, and the fleetingness and unsatisfac- 
toriness of everything except Christ. Then, 
it drives one to Him each moment, one cannot 
bear it even one moment alone, one must lean 
and cling (and anything is blessed which does 
this !) . And then, one finds that He is ten- 
der and gracious, that His promises are 
precious, that his presence is a reality 
even if unrealized ! (a true paradox.) Then, 
one has opportunities which one could not 
otherwise have of learning trust, and pa- 
tience, and meekness ; it is a time of growing 
up into Him in these things. Then, one 



130 FRANCES R. HAYEEGAL. 

realizes more what it must have been to 
Jesus to endure real, actual, bodily pain for 
us, I never saw such tremendous force in 
i Peter ii. 24 ('in His own bod*/') as when 
suffering great pain myself; it seemed a new 
page of His love unfolded to me. I could 
write sheets more on the blessed teachings of 
pain, but if I did I should perhaps bring it 
on ! So far, the whole question of pain is 
rather one of sight than of faith to me now : 
it has become so clear to me, as a part of 
God's great plan which could not be done 
without. But I find yet scope for faith be- 
yond. I believe there is a mysterious con- 
nection between suffering here and actual 
capabilities of enjoyment hereafter, and that 
Buffering here is training (I cannot tell how) 
for that glorious service above, io which I 
delight to look forward. But now look for 
yourself at what God's word says about it, 
and dwell on that instead of on your own 
thoughts about it, for His thoughts are not 
as your thoughts ; see Isaiah lv. 8, 0. Look 
at II. Corinthians iv. 17,18; and then see 
how much more you can find in His word 
which bears on the subject. . . . 

Trust Jesus in and for everything. When 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 131 

a trial is past, one does so bitterly regret not 
having trusted Him entirely in it ; and one 
sees that we might as well have had all the 
joy and rest of perfect trust all along." 

{To .) 

" . . . I know that nothing short of the 
Holy Spirit's power can enable any one to 
accept God's way of salvation as a little 
child. ... 1 will tell you the two pas- 
sages which have been the greatest help to 
me, two great anchors which have stood 
many a strain of personal conflict and 
doubt : — 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my 
word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath ever- 
lasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; 
but is passed from death unto life. — John v. 24. 

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the 
witness in himself: he that believeth not God, hath 
made him a liar, because he believeth not the record 
that God gave of his Son. 

And this is the record, that God hath given to us 



It does not matter what we suppose God 
might propose or declare ; it all hangs upon 
what has God said about it ? And can words 



132 FRANCES R. HAVKROAL. 

be plainer than those two passages? 'He 
thai believeth hath everlasting life, 9 Only 
think deliberately out that those words must 
moan everlasting life, for it would be a mock- 
ery and a lie to call it bo it' it might last only 
a day or a year. If the life which Jesus im- 
parts (His own life by His Spirit) can come 
to an end to-morrow, it is not, cannot be, and 
never teas, everlasting life at all / Our natural 
life is even as a vapor, but this would ho a 
poorer thing still, it" it might ho lost even 
sooner. ' Everlasting' either moans that 
which shall really last tor ever, or it is a 
meaningless delusion and not worth tho paper 
it is printed on. l Hath:' ii is never said 
shall have, hut always tho actual present pos- 
session by every one who believes, not al- 
ways consciously hut certainly. It' you be- 
lieve in Jesus as your only and all-sufficient 
Saviour, either you have at this moment 
everlasting life, a life which shall and oan 
nevet perish : or God is a liar. Don't you 
soo tho Inevitable force ot' l everlasting y f It 
must be everything or nothing. How oan it 
ho everlasting life, it' it oan ho quenched in 
eternal death ? Tho two passages you men- 
tion present no difficulty at all. Phillip- 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 133 

pians ii. 12, 13 seems to me clearly to imply 
that those to whom St. Paul wrote had got 
salvation as an actual possession, 'your 
own 9 ; and, having got it, they are now to 
' work it out,' i. e. to cany out all the details 
and consequences of it, act up to it. Give a 
man a great gold mine ; it is his, he has not 
got to work for it (it is all there, his very 
own) , but only to work it out, draw upon it, 
and enjoy it. I think the figure holds good, 
for enjoyment seems to hold an almost in- 
variable proportion to work for Christ. I 
never knew any idle Christian really a re- 
joicing one (I do not of course speak of in- 
valids) ; and, conversely, if you see a man 
or woman, whatever their position, doing all 
they can for the cause of Christ, giving up 
time to work for Him, and trying hard to 
win others, either rich or poor, for Him, you 
may be almost certain that they are happy 
in Christ. (Mark, I do not say those who 
merely ride religious or benevolent hobbies, 
or who work for externals of religion, these 
are often as miserable as any ; but those who 
are working for Christ.) Further, just 
look at the 'for' in verse 13, and take the 
two verses together and you will see that it 



134 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

is all of God and not of us. As to I. Corin- 
thians ix. 27, why did you not see that the 
Greek adohimos is literally and clearly * not 
approved,' being simply the negative of doki- 
mos. You cannot read the Greek word 
otherwise ; and how it came to be translated 
' cast-away' I can't imagine. I can wish you 
no greater blessing than that salvation may 
be no longer a * theory' but a glorious reality 
to you, constraining you henceforth to live 
unto Him entirely and joyfully. If you 
once get hold of this, everything will seem 
different ; the false lights of the world will 
no longer throw their flickering, deceiving 
lights around you, but you will view and 
estimate all in the true light, the glorious 
light which makes the earthly delusions alto- 
gether unattractive, and the grand eternal 
realities appear what they are, just realities. 
But, whatever you do, don't delay ; go fully 
and most earnestly into the question at once ; 
a magnificent treasure is within your reach, 
don't drift away from it. If any other pas- 
sage, or set of passages, present any diffi- 
culty to your mind, I wish you would let me 
know. Just one thing : this matter is not 
merely the intellectual acceptance of a theory, 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 

but also the acceptance, by the heart, of 
God's loving and free offer and plan. It is 
a personal transaction between Christ and the 
soul, to be carried out alone with Him." 

{To a young friend. ) 

* ' You will not mind my writing to you ; 
you needn't feel obliged to answer. I hear 
you go back to school on Thursday ; are you 
to go back doubtful, uneasy, fearful, dissatis- 
fied, alone ? or, is it to be going back with 
Jesus, safe in Him, happy in Him? When 
the Holy Spirit stirs up a heart to feel un- 
easy, it is very solemn, because it is His 
doing ; Satan will do his best to say ' peace, 
peace, when there is no peace.' It is very 
solemn, because it results either in grieving 
that loving Spirit by stifling His secret call, 
or in passing from death unto life : the one 
or the other, I know of no other alternative. 
Which shall it be ? Don't linger just outside 
the gate of the city of refuge ; just outside 
is danger, perhaps destruction ; you are not 
safe for one instant till you are inside. And 
oh, have you ever thought that it is not 
merely negative, not merely not safe, but 



136 FRANCES R. HAVEEGAL. 

that unless your sins now are on Jesus they 
are noio on you, and God's wrath is upon 
them and so upon you ? It is a tremendous 
question, 'where are your sins?' I do not 
stay to prove that they are somewhere, you 
have learnt that; but now where are they? 
On }^ou, or on Jesus? Oh, that He may 
now send His own faithful word about it with 
power to your soul, 'the Lord hath laid on 
Him the iniquity of us all ! ' Accept that, 
believe His word, venture your soul upon it, 
and ' he that believeth hath everlasting life.' 
I won't write more to-day ; all hinges on this 
question, 'where are your sins?' If on you, 
you are not safe one instant, there is but a 
step between you and hell, * the wrath of God 
abideth on him ' ; it is awfully true, don't 
dare to sleep another night with condemna- 
tion upon you. But if on Jesus (and He 
only asks you to believe that He has borne 
them, in His own body, on the tree, and that 
Jehovah hath laid them on Him,) then you 
are free, gloriously free ! They can't be on 
both! If on Jesus, you are saved and have 
everlasting life, and you will prove it by 
'henceforth' being His entirely and living to 
Him. I desire and pray that the great ques- 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 137 

tion of your life, of your ivhole eternity, 
may be decided before you go back. It will 
be easier now than it ever can be again, if 
He ever gives you another caH." 

{To the same.) 

" . . . Let me say just this ; when one 
is really and utterly ' all for Jesus,' then and 
not till then we find Jesus is all for us, and 
all in all to us. Now I want you to be * all 
for Jesus.' I can't describe the happiness 
He puts into any heart that will only give 
itself up altogether to Him, not wishing to 
keep one single bit back. And I want you 
to have this, and to have it now ; not to wait 
till illness or great trouble come, and you 
feel driven at last to Him. No ! that is sim- 
ply 'too bad!' Jesus says, 'Come noivT 
not, * come when everything else has turned 
bitter.' And if you come now, and surren- 
der to Him now, you will have the peace 
now and the gladness now ; and I can tell 
you it is worth having, because I have it, 
and so I know it is. It is a grand thing to 
start out early, and be on the Lord's side all 
along. Oh, what an amount of sorrow it 



138 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

will save you if He gives yoii grace to do 
it ! But come now, for Jesus of Nazareth is 
passing by, and many are getting His bles- 
sing. Don't wait, either to get better or to 
feel worse!" 

Mark the following poem : — 



" INCREASE OUR FAITH. 



Increase our faith, beloved Lord ! 

For Thou alone canst give 
The faith that takes Thee at Thy word, 

The faith by which we live. 



ii. 

41 Increase our faith ! So weak are we, 
That we both may and must, 
Commit our very faith to Thee, 
Entrust to Thee our trust. 



in. 

" Increase our faith ! for there is yet 
Much laud to be possessed ; 
And by no other strength we get 
Our heritage of rest. 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 139 



IV. 

" Increase our faith ! On this broad shield 
All fiery darts be caught ; 
We must be victors in the field 
Where Thou for us hast fought. 



v. 

k< Increase our faith, that we may claim 
Each starry promise sure, 
And always triumph in Thy name, 
And to the end endure. 1 ' 



140 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 



CHAPTER XI. 

DIVINE HELP. MOTHER'S DEATH. "TAKE 

MY SILVER AND MY GOLD." — " GROWING." 

Mark the wisdom and common sense of 
the following letters : — 

{To Miss Sheldeton.) 

"Leamington. 

"My experience is, that it is nearly al- 
ways just in proportion to my sense of per- 
sonal insufficiency in writing anything, that 
God sends his blessing and power with it ; 
so I don't wonder that your papers are 
so sweet and helpful ! I think He must give 
us that total dependence on Him for every 
word, which can only come by feeling one's 
own helplessness and incapacity, before He 
can very much use us. And so I think this 
very sense of not having gifts is the best and 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 141 

most useful gift of them all. It is so much 
sweeter to have to look up to Him for every 
word one writes. I often smile when people 
call me ' gifted,' and think how little they 
know the real state of the case, which is that 
I not only feel that I can't but really can't, 
write a single verse unless I go to Him for it 
and get it from Him. 

4 'But, in this sweet access and supply, 
you and I have a 'better thing' than the 
grandest natural gifts ; and as for being slow 
or quick in production, it may be some 
tiny sentence written in five seconds, and 
never thought of before, which may do the 
widest and truest work for Jesus." 

" Yours, in our dear Master." 

(To ,) 

"I suppose it was the ' silver and gold' 
line that was objected to ; and I do think 
that couplet, 'Take my silver and my gold, 
Not a mite would I withhold,' is peculiarly 
liable to be objected to by those who do not 
really understand the spirit of it, don't you ? 
So I am not a bit surprised ! Yes, ' not a 
mite would I withhold ' ; but that does not 



142 FRANCES R. HAVE RG AL. 

mean that, because we have ten shillings in 
our purse, we are pledged to put it all into 
the next collecting plate, else we should have 
none for the next call ! But it does mean 
that every shilling is to be, and I think I 
may say is, held at my Lord's disposal, and 
is distinctly not my own ; but, as He has 
entrusted to me a body for my special charge, 
I am bound to clothe that body with His 
silver and gold, so that it shall neither suffer 
from cold, nor bring discredit upon His 
cause ! I still forget sometimes, but as a 
rule I never spend a sixpence without the 
distinct feeling that it is His, and must be 
spent for Him only, even if indirectly." 

With the same common sense, she explains 
her reasons for dressing very nicely : — 

"The outer should be the expression of 
the inner, not an ugly mask or disguise. If 
the King's daughter is to be 'all glorious 
within,' she must not be outwardly a fright ! 
I must dress both as a lady and a Christian. 
The question of cost I see very strongly, and 
do not consider myself at liberty to spend on 
dress that which might be spared for God's 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 143 

work ; but it costs no more to have a thing 
well and prettily made, and I should only 
feel justified in getting a costly dress if it 
would last proportionately longer. When 
working among strangers, if I dressed below 
par, it would attract attention and might 
excite opposition ; by dressing unremarkably, 
and yet with a generally pleasing effect, no 
attention is distracted. Also, what is suita- 
ble in one house is not so in another, and it 
would be almost an insult to appear at din- 
ner among some of my relatives and friends 
in what I could wear without apology at 
home ; it would be an actual breach of the 
rule 'Be courteous' ; also, I should not think 
it right to appear among wedding guests in a 
dress which would be perfectly suitable for 
wearing to the Infirmary. But I shall always 
ask for guidance in all things ! " 
Her sister Marie writes : — 

"The year 1877 was passed uneventfully 
at her home, or in visits to her brother or 
sisters, to Ashley Moor, and to London. 
The distressing illness of our dear mother 
was a source of deep anxiety; Frances 
writes to her : — 



144 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

"More pain, dearest mother? May it be 
more support, more grace, more tenderness, 
from the God of all comfort, more and more ! 
May we not expect the * mores ' always to be 
in tender proportion to each other ? " 



Your loving child. ; 



She writes : — 



* < I have been immensely struck with the 
passages in which our Master, our Example, 
uses the word ' must,'' and the great contrast 
with our use of it. Only compare when any 
one says 'but I must do so and so,' with 
Christ's 'I must's.' It is a really helpful bit 
of Bible search, for we must follow Him in 
this or we are ' not worthy of Him.' 

"Do not hesitate to smite me. I dread 
nothing so much as smooth things. I would 
rather have 'faithful wounds.' I do not see 
how I can like doing . . . and yet I am 
in honor bound to carry it through. I was 
absolutely content and happy in it as being 
His doing, but subsequent delays and mis- 
takes seemed altogether human and not His 
doing at all.*' 

In studying this lady's life I am inclined 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 145 

to think that her incessant activity helped to 
shorten her stay on earth. Mark the fol- 
lowing : — 

(To I). S.) 

"What shall I do? Your letter would 
take two hours to answer, and I have not ten 
minutes ; fifteen to twenty letters to write 
every morning, proofs to correct, editors 
waiting for articles, poems and music I can- 
not touch, American publishers clamouring 
for poems or any manuscripts, four Bible 
readings or classes weekly, many anxious 
ones waiting for help, a mission week com- 
ing, and other work after that. And my 
doctor says my physique is too weak to 
balance the nerves and brain, and that I 
ought not to touch a pen. If you could see 
the pressure on me, you would not think me 
wet-blanketing if I do not answer all your 
queries. < Mission Week!' if that sort of 

thing won't do in , it is the very reason 

why it is wanted ; no agency seems to me 
more blessed than that. 

«« 'Bride of Christ?' Study (I don't mean 
read through) the Canticles, and look at the 
practical sweetness, comfort, and beauty of 



146 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

the type ; also look at Ezekiel xvi. and 
Hosea ii. Your own Bible will be your best 
answerer. 

"Work out this glorious subject: I. Sam- 
uel xii. 24, * Consider,' Psalm cxxvi. 3 'hath 
done,' Joel ii. 21 'will do'; and then (prac- 
tical) Luke viii. 39, 'shoiv,' not merely 'te??,' 
what great things He has done. What 
'great things' does your Bible tell He hath 
done and ivill do? You will find it inex- 
haustible ! Yours in affectionate haste." 

(To ) 

"Don't you see He has broken the yoke 
(Isa. x. 27), only you keep rubbing the 
place where it pressed, and are feeling stiff! 
When splints are taken off a broken leg, you 
feel as if they were still on. ' Believe, and 
ye shall be free indeed." Will you set your- 
self to search out what He says about it? 
Put all the texts down, and be prepared to 
write under them either, ' I believe what God 
says,' or 'I believe what I feel, and not what 
He says." Try it ! Now I must dash off to 
another topic, because I must hand to you 
what flashed out splendidly to me last night : 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 147 

< Beloved of God, called to be saints ! ' That 
for you and me. Only think ! It seems to 
include everything. Will you let that be 
your pillow to-morrow night ! " 

{To Miss Williams.) 

"Thanks for your sweet benediction. If 
you remember me in prayer, will you ask 
that I may be kept always and only at Jesus' 
feet, never anywhere else. It is the only 
place safe from vain glory. Thank you for 
your valuable gift of the * History of Wales.' 
I do so like your book, * Literary Women.' 
The sad sketch of L. E. L.'s life and charac- 
ter struck me very much. What a contrast 
to Hannah More ! 

"It seems as if more waiting than work- 
ing were to be my lot ; but it is such rest to 
be quite satisfied with His choice for me." 

The following lines were written impromp- 
tu in S. B. P.'s album : — 

" ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD/' 

{Gen. v. 22.) 
So niay'st thou walk ! from hour to hour 

Of every brightening year ; 

Keeping so very near 
To Him, whose power is love, whose love is power. 



148 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

So niay'st thou walk ! in His clear light, 

Leaning on Him alone, 

Thy life His very own, 
Until He takes thee up to walk with Him in white. 
Frances Ridley IIavergal. 

March 31, 1877. 

About this time her mother was taken sick 
and suffered exceedingly, and was dying for 
seven days. She died May 26, 1878. Miss 
Frances writes : — 

(To Hon. F. Billon.) 

* * If ever a cup of cold water came at the 
right moment, it was your overwhelmingly 
kind letter. It came on the seventh day of 
poor suffering mother's dying. The painful 
tension to me has been excessive ; your note 
was a singular relief, if only for a few min- 
utes, in those days of grief. To witness that 
strangely distressing illness has been by 
1 terrible things ' answering my eager prayer 
for more teaching and closer drawing at any 
cost. So now I expect the 'afterwards,' 
which, as yet, I certainly don't feel. But it 
is something to set to one's own personal 
seal that God is true to a whole set of prom- 
ises, with which one could have nothing to 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 149 

do except in very real trial of some sort, and 
one may as well let Him choose what sort." 

She had the missionary fire glowing in her 
soul, and when not able to go to the foreign 
field, she gave her jewelry to the cause of 
Missions. Hear her story : — 

" Leamington, August, 1878. 

' 'The Lord has shown me another little 
step, and of course I have taken it with ex- 
treme delight. 'Take my silver and my 
gold' now means shipping off all my orna- 
ments (including a jewel cabinet which is 
really fit for a countess) to the Church Mis- 
sionary House, where they will be accepted 
and disposed of for me. I retain only a 
brooch or two for daily wear, which are 
memorials of my dear parents ; also a locket 
with the only portrait I have of my niece in 
Heaven, my Evelyn; and her 'two rings,' 
mentioned in 'Under the Surface.' But 
these I redeem, so that the whole value goes 
to the Church Missionary Society. I had no 
idea I had such a jeweler's shop, nearly fifty 
articles are being packed off. I don't think 
I need tell you I never packed a box with 
such pleasure." 



150 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

Her sister refers to this in a letter to the 
Editor of the "Kecord": — 

' 'Just this time last year, in July, she 
came to me with that light in her eye which 
always told of some bright thought. ' Marie ! 
It has come over me this morning that I shall 
send all my jewelry to the Church Mission- 
ary Society. I wrote long ago : — 

" Take my silver and my gold ; 
Not a mite would I withhold." 

And I really have given every shilling I 
could to God's service, but I never thought 
of my jewels.' I pleaded in vain the plea- 
sure of leaving them to others. 'No,' she 
said, 'my King wants them, aud they must 
go ; delightful to have anything to give Him. 
I can't go India, but I can help to send some 
one.' The massive gold chain she had worn 
for four years, the gift for some literary toil, 
she took oft* her neck, substituting a very 
old one. A friend at once gave her a hand- 
some price for her chain, and she brought 
the gold to me, rattling the sovereigns 
merrily in her hands. 'There, this goes at 
once to the Church Missionary Society, and 



A SKETCH OF IIETC LIFE. 151 

I shall make it up to £50, which I long 
wanted to give.' Though we were very 
busy, she had all her jewelcry cleaned and 
packed, fifty-three articles (even her useful 
gold pencils), in a beautiful casket and sent 
up to London to the care of the Rev. II . 
Wright." 

In this spirit of self-denial she was con- 
stantly " Growing in grace, and in the 
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ." Mark the following from "Loyal 
Responses : " — 

" GROWING. 



" Unto him that hath, Thou givest 
Ever, * more abundantly ! ' 
Lord, I live because Thou livest, 

Therefore give more life to me ; 
Therefore speed me in the race, 
Therefore let me grow in grace. 

ii. 

u Deepen all Thy work, O Master, 
Strengthen every downward root, 
Only do Thou ripen faster, 

More and more, Thy pleasant fruit. 
Purge me, prune me, self-abase, 
Only let me grow in grace. 



152 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

III. 

"Jesus, grace for grace outpouring, 
Show me ever greater things ; 
Raise me higher, sunward soaring, 

Mounting as on eagle's wings. 
By the brightness of Thy face, 
Jesus, let me grow in grace. 

IV. 

,; Let me grow by sun and shower, 
Every moment water me ; 
Make me really hour by hour 

More and more conformed to Thee, 
That Thy loving eye may trace. 
Day by day, my growth in grace. 



" Let me then be always growing, 

Never, never standing ; 
Listening, learning, better knowing 

Thee and Thy most blessed will, 
Till I reach Thy holy place, 
Daily let me grow in grace." 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 153 



CHAPTER XII. 

LITERARY LABORS. — SET APART FOR JESUS. 
ROYAL INVITATION. SELECTION. 

" Now, Lord, I give myself to Thee, 

I would be wholly Thine, 
As Thou hast given Thyself to me, 

And Thou art wholly mine ; 
O take me, seal me for Thine own. 

Thine altogether, Thine alone." 

In reading her many books I notice, First, 
that they are very Scriptural. They are full 
of the Word of God. The Bible references 
in the margin are most excellent and numer- 
ous. The words of God are weaved in 
among her own words, like so many jewels 
that will sparkle till the world is on fire. No 
wonder that her books are having a wonder- 
ful sale. They are so full of " The Bread of 
Life," for which the masses are hungering. 



154 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

Secondly, her writings are remarkably 
free from the errors of the Antinomians. She 
believed in both outward and inward holiness. 
She believed in the power of Christ to save 
to the very uttermost all that come unto God 
by Him. She says " The word < uttermost ' 
in this passage is a compound word of which 
we have no equivalent in the English. It 
means that He is able to save unto all com- 
pleteness, unto the total perfection of saving." 

Thirdly, her writings are not only free 
from error, but they are conceived and ex- 
pressed under the direction, if not the inspi- 
ration, of the Holy Ghost. Hence they are 
wonderfully free from mistakes. It seems 
as though the ever blessed Holy Ghost puri- 
fied both her heart and mind, and after a long 
succession of severe chasteniugs, He guided 
her thoughts and feelings while she penned 
these spiritual books that serve to keep her 
memory so fresh in the Christian world. 

Fourthly, there is a marked simplicity' in 
the style of her writings. There is no at- 
tempt at display ; but an intense desire to 
make the subject entirely plain and impres- 
sive. She wrote from the dictates of a 
natural genius, and not from the labors and 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. i 55 

writings of others. Her meaning lies open 
to all who can read the English language. 

No wonder that fifty-two thousand copies 
of "Little Pillows" have been sold in this 
country alone, and many of the other books 
in the same proportion. 

How wonderfully she brings out her own 
experience in "Starlight Through the Shad- 
ows : A Daily Book for Invalids." 

Only eleven chapters were written when 
she dropped her, pen and went up beyond the 
stars, to seize her palm and wave it in tri- 
umph forever. 

In the same book we find, "Outlines of 
Her Addresses," given in her parlor in No- 
vember and December, 1878, a few months 
before she died. One of her hearers writes : — 

"Miss Frances still speaks to us ; her voice 
follows us, especially the words, 'Be ye holy, 
for I am holy,' and * Without holiness no 
man shall see the Lord.' She was God's 
mouth to us." 

These Outlines are Bible Headings, show- 
ing great insight into the Word of God. 

"The Koyal Invitation" contains daily 
thoughts of coming to Christ ; and is 
another of her sparkling gems for every day 



156 FEANCES E. HAVERGAL. 

in the month. It is full of soul food, gather- 
ed from Scripture and experience. 

"Loyal Responses" contains "Thirty-one 
Daily Melodies for the Kings Minstrels." 
She says of this book that /'Almost every 
line has been either directly drawn from 
Scripture, or may be proved thereby. May 
not only our lips but our lives be filled with 
* Loyal Responses' to all the words of our 
King!" 

But what shall I say of "Kept for the 
Master's Use," "My King," "Royal Boun- 
ty," "Royal Commandments," "Morning 
Bells," "Morning Stars," and a large volume 
of poems? She "rests from her labors, but 
her works do follow." * 

I have already mentioned her musical 
writings which were of great value. Her 
talents were of a superior kind, and were 
truly sanctified to God, and their influence 
for good will run on to eternity. Surely she 
was, to use her own language : — 

" SET APART FOR JESUS. 

i. 

11 Set apart for Jesus ! 
Is not this enough, 
Though the dearest prospect 
Open wild and rough? 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 157 

Set apart for His delight, 
Chosen for His holy pleasure, 
Sealed to be His special treasure, 

Could we choose a nobler joy? 
And would we if we might? 



ii. 

»' Set apart to serve Him, 
Ministers of light, 
Standing in his presence, 

Eeady day or night ! 
Chosen for the service blest, 
He would have us always willing, 
Like the angel host fulfilling 
Swiftly and rejoicingly each recognized behest. 



in. 

" Set apart to praise Him, 

Set apart for this ! 
Have the blessed angels 

Any truer bliss? 
Soft the prelude, though so clear ; 

Isolated tones are trembling ; 

But the chosen choir assembling 
Soon shall sing together, while the 

Universe shall hear. 

IV. 

" Set apart to love Him, 
And His love to know ! 
Not to waste affection 
On the passing show. 



158 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

Called to give Him life and heart, 
Called to pour the hidden treasure, 
That none other claims to measure, 

Into His beloved hand ! thrice blessed 
Set apart. 

v. 

" Set apart forever, 

For Himself alone ! 
Now we see our calling 

Gloriously shown. 
Owning, with no sacred dread, 

This our holy separation, 

Now the crown of Consecration 
Of our Lord, our God, shall rest 

Upon our willing head." 

— Num. vi. 7. 

She writes : — 

"February, 1868. 

< « . . . I have not had a single poem 
come to me for some time, till last night, 
when one shot into my mind. All my best 
have come in that way, Minerva fashion, full 
grown. It is so curious, one minute I have 
not an idea of writing anything, the next I 
have a poem ; it is mine, I see it all, except 
laying out rhymes and metre, which is then 
easy work ! I rarely write anything which 
has not come thus. ' Hidden Leaves' is 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 159 

the title ; I wonder how you would work it 
out after this beginning : — 

* Oh the hidden leaves of life, 
Closely folded in the breast.' 

' * A few days ago I called upon a devoted 
minister who told me much of his religious 
experience, and of his labors among the 
sick, especially of one call upon a lady who 
was in the greatest agony. He could only 
say a few words and pray, but he left a copy 
of ' Koyal Invitation ' and requested the nurse 
to read it to the patient as she may be able 
to hear it. She did so ; and those precious 
words, like good seed, fell into the heart of 
the sufferer and led her to Christ. She lived 
and died in holy triumph. 

' ' Just about the same time this minister 
visited two other sick persons and used the 
same means with the same glorious results. 
They gave the sweetest evidence of salva- 
tion by accepting the < Koyal Invitation.' 

No doubt they have entered the realms 
of the blest, and after bowing at the feet of 
Jesus, have sought out the author of that 
book and thanked her for writing; the same. 



1G0 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

The following quotation from ' ' The Royal 
ivitation" will si 
value of the book : 



Invitation" will show the reader the great 



4 < COMING INTO THE ARK. 

" Come thou, and all thy house into the ark." — 
Gen. vii. 1. 

' ' No need to repeat the story ! We knew 
it all at six years old. To-day the words 
are sent to you. 

' < ' Come thou ! ' We are either inside or 
outside the ark. There is no half-way in 
this. Outside is death, inside is life. Out- 
side is certain, inevitable, utter destruction. 
Inside is complete safety. Where are you 
this moment? Perhaps you dare not say, 
confidently and happily, 'I am inside;' yet 
you do not like to look the alternative in 
the face and say * I am outside ! ' And you 
prefer trying to persuade yourself that you 
do not exactly know, and can't be expected 
to be able to answer such a question. And 
you say, perhaps with a shade of annoyance, 
'How am I to know?' God's infallible 
Word tells you very plainly. ' If any man 
be in Christ, he is a new creature old things 
are passed away; behold, all things are 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 161 

become new ! ' ' A very severe test ! ' You 
say, I cannot help that ; I can only tell you 
exactly what God says. I cannot reverse 
it, and you cannot alter it. So then, if old 
things have not passed away in your life, 
and if you are not a new creature, born 
again, altogether different in heart, and life, 
and love, and aim, you are not in Christ, 
and if you are not in Christ, you are out of 
Christ, outside the only place of safety. 

' ' « Come thou into the ark ! ' It is one of 
the devices of the destroyer to delude you 
into fancying that no very decided step is 
necessary. He is very fond of the word 
« gradually.' You are to find salvation 
gradually. You are to turn your mind to 
God gradually. Did you ever think that 
God never uses this word nor anything like 
it? Neither the word nor the sense of it 
occurs in anyway in the whole Bible with 
reference to salvation. You might have 
been gradually approaching the ark, and 
gradually making up your mind to enter ; 
but unless you took the one step into the ark, 
the one step from outside to inside, what 
would have been your fate when the door 
was shut? 



162 FEANCES E. HAVEEGAL. 

" 'Come thou into the ark !' I want the 
call to haunt you, to ring in your cars all day 
and all night till you come. For at this 
moment, if you are not in the ark, you are 
in more awful danger than you can conceive. 
Just because you know it is so awful, you 
shut your eyes and try not to think of it ! 
But then it is all the same. Any moment 
the door may be shut for you. Any hour 
may be the sunset of your day of grace, 
with no twilight of possibilities of salvation 
beyond. 

' 'But, 'Come thou into the ark!' Jesus 
is the Ark. He is the Hiding-place from the 
fiery tempest. < I flee unto Thee, to hide 
me from the wrath to come ; Thou art my 
Hiding-place.' 

"He who brings the flood has provided 
the Ark. And the door is open. It to ill be 
shut some day, — it may be shut tomorrow. 
What will you do if you find yourself, not 
shut in, but, shut out? Whose fault is it 
if you do not enter in and be saved?" 

This will serve to show the tenor of the 
whole book; it is intensely full of earnest 
entreaty, and plain and pungent Gospel 
truth, without a mixture of error. 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 163 



CHAPTER XIII. 

STILL DOING GOOD. MARVELS OF LOVE. 

PARLOR MEETINGS. 1 AM WITH YOU. 

KEPT FOR THE MASTER'S USE. 

u The joy of loyal service to the King 
Shone through her days, and lit up other lives, 
With the new fire of faith, that ever strives, 

Like a swift kindling beacon far to fling, 

The tidings of His victorj r , and claim 

New subjects for His realm, new honor for His name." 

This devoted Christian lady continued to 
fill up her life in doing good. On her last 
Sunday evening at Leamington she sent for 
a number of night-school boys, and gave 
them baskets of books and magazines, maps 
for their library, a magic lantern, etc. Then 
she sang and played "Tell it out." She 
wrote for them some simple verses and cho- 
rus, "Jesus delivers me now." 

Wherever she went she poured a flood of 



164 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

sunshine. Her soul was full, and often over- 
flowed. The following quotation is in point : 

"The Master keeps the lips of His ser- 
vants by so filling their hearts with His love 
that the outflow cannot be unloving, by so 
fillino; their thoughts that the utterance can- 
not be un-Christlike. There must be filling 
before there can be pouring out ; and if there 
is filling, there must be pouring out, for He 
hath said, 'Out of the abundance of the 
heart the mouth speaketh.' " 

She could well say and feel : — 

" Not death, but life ; not silence, but the strings 
Of angel-harps ; no deep cold sea, but springs 
Of living water; no dim, wearied sight, 
Nor time, nor tear-mist, but the joy of light; 
Not sleep, but rest, that happy service brings." 

But she needed rest and quiet retirement 
from this busy world. So she and her sister 
Marie found a quiet retreat in Swansea Bay. 

Oct. 28, 1878, (about eight months before 
she died) she wrote to an American friend : — 

< ' The beginning of this month my dear 
sister and I came here, and settled into snug 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 165 

lodgings on the ridge of the western horn of 
Swansea Bay (six miles from Swansea) . 

"I simply could not live, I think, any- 
where within hail of London, nor much long- 
er in any such lively place as Leamington. 
So I have got away, now, well out of every- 
body's reach ! I am trying, trying, trying, 
in a sort of Tantalian hopelessness, to over- 
take the letters that pour in on me, and to 
fulfil such requests as I have already prom- 
ised. But, very seriously, I feel that unless 
I draw a line hard and fast, and refuse every- 
body all round all that is asked me to do, 
until I have cleared up the said promises and 
secured a little rest, I shall get mentally as 
well as bodily exhausted. So, dear friend, 
I must decline to write what you ask for ; it 
is always pain to me to say ' no,' and I might 
keep a secretary only to write these refusals. 
That is all the outside. As for under the 
surface, of course it is the old story of mar- 
vels of love and faithfulness, from micros- 
copically minute to grandly magnificent, and 
sometimes the minutest seem the most mag- 
nificent. I don't think all the previous years, 
put together, equal this last twelve months 
for these daily miracles of love. Only, 



166 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

most of them, and the most wonderful, are 
from special circumstances, such as have to 
remain among the secrets between one's own 
soul and the ever dearer Master. ... It 
seems to me that God has done for me more 
than He promised, not only supplying all my 
need, but all my notions. . . . Our pres- 
ent abode suits us so perfectly in all manner 
of little ways, that I tell our gracious Father 
I really don't know how to thank Him 
enough for it. . . . How I should like to 
meet my American friends ! But I dare not 
come over. I should be sick all the way, 
and only be a trouble to you ; but, ' there 
shall be no more sea ! ' " 

Mark the following from her sister : — 

" May I sketch her at her study table, in 
her favorite chair from Astley Rectory, older 
than herself? Her American type-writer was 
close by, so that she could turn to it from 
her desk ; it was a great relief to her eyes, 
but its rapid working often told me she was 
busy when she should have rested. Her 
desk and table drawers were all methodically 
arranged for letters from editors, friends, 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 1G7 

relatives, strangers, matters of business, 
multitudinous requests, Irish Society work, 
manuscripts ; paper and string in their allot- 
ted corners, no litter ever allowed. It was 
at her study table that she read her Bible by 
seven o'clock in the summer and eight o'clock 
in winter; her Hebrew Bible, Greek Testa- 
ment, and lexicons being at hand. Some- 
times, on bitterly cold mornings, I begged 
that she would read with her feet comforta- 
bly to the fire, and received the reply : 
' But then, Marie, I can't rule my lines neat- 
ly ; just see what a find I've got ! If one 
only searches, there are such extraordinary 
things in the Bible ! ' 

' ' Her harp-piano was placed on a stand she 
contrived by dexterous carpentering. It was 
at this instrument she composed her last sa- 
cred song, 'Loving all Along,' and many 
other melodies to her hymns in ' Loyal Re- 
sponses.' " 

Miss Frances writes : — 

"I don't think I ever felt more thankful 
and glad for anything than on reaching^ this 
quiet little nest. God has so graciously and 



168 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

perfectly met our special need. I must pass 
on to you the last text I have been enjoying, 
Exodus xv. 13 ; what can we want more ! 
and it is Thy mercy and strength all along. 
And then the ' holy habitation ' of the pres- 
ent, and the future one, from which we shall 
« go no more out.' " 

Jesus said to His weary followers — * < Come 
ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and 
rest awhile." But there was no rest for 
Miss Frances till she reached her rest of 
Heaven. Mark the following from her 
pen : — 



a i 



Rest!' There is none for me apparently. 
Every post brings more letters from strang- 
ers alone than I and my sister can answer. 
It is nine months since I have had a chance 
of doing a stroke of new work ! But letters 
were a trouble to Nehemiah as well as to me 
(Neh. vi. 4), and I must try to make it 
always work for my King." 



Still she laid out new work as the folio w- 
l will show. Her sister writes : — 

"The cottagers around us soon won my 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 1G9 

sister's interest and regard, and she invited 
them to a Bible reading in our house. She 
wrote to ask ' for a real great blessing on an 
open Bible class which I am starting this 
evening. I don't know who will come, few 
or many ; but I want Gods real converting 
grace poured out, and I want to be enabled 
so to speak of Jesus that souls may be won 
to Him. There is the centre; how it just 
goes through one, when one touches upon His 
own beloved name. And how we do want 
Him to be understood and loved/ 



5 5J 



These were the Bible readings for which 
she prepared "Outlines of Her Addresses" 
which show so much care, research and spir- 
itual insight. 

Marie writes the following, which is so 
deeply interesting : — 

"Very early on her last Christmas morn- 
ing she awoke in severe pain, and was very 
ill for some days. But she said cheerily : 
< I really have had such songs given me in 
the night, and some Christmas verses for 
next year came so easily.' An hour after : 
'Oh, Marie; I've done a half-day's work 



170 FRANCES It. IIAVEKGAL. 

already, a whole set of mottoes ; it seemed 
poured into me.' These she named ' Christ- 
mas Sunshine,' and 'Love and Light for the 
New Year.' * You can't think the enjoyment 
it is to me to produce anything new. What 
books I should write if I had time ! I won- 
der if I shall always be so pressed with other 
things ; but never mind, it is all "service."' 
And then she spoke of her own mother and 
the little prayer she taught her ; ' "O Lord, 
prepare me for all Thou art preparing for 
me ;" that has been my life prayer.' Many 
days of pain and weakness followed, and the 
doctor wished her to have perfect rest. I 
was most thankful to write all the letters I 
could for her now, and at other times. Dear 
wearied sister ! once she said : * I do hope 
the angels will have orders to let me alone a 
bit, when I first get to Heaven ! '" — 

I quote from one of her poems : — 

" I AM WITH YOU. 

i. 
"He is with thooi with thy spirit, 
With thy lips or with thy pen ; 
In the quiet preparation, 
In the heart-bowed congregation, 
Nevermore alone again ! 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 171 



II. 

• He is with thee, with thee always, 
All the nights and all the days ; 
Never failing, never frowning, 
With His loving kindness crowning, 
Turning all thy life to praise. 

in. 

' He is with thee !— Thine own Master, 

Leading, loving to the end ; 
Brightening joy and lightening sorrow, 
All to-day, yet more to-morrow, 
King and Saviour, Lord and Friend. 



u He is with thee !— Yes forever, 

Now and through eternity ; 
Then with Him forever dwelling, 
Thou shalt share His joy excelling; 

Thou with Christ and Christ with thee ! " 

From time to time she felt it her solemn 
duty to renew her consecration. She writes 
as follows : — 

(To J. T. W.) 

"Dec. i, 1878. 
"I had a great time early this morning, 
renewing the never regretted consecration. 
I seemed led to run over the < Take my life,' 



172 FRANCES R. IIAVERGAL. 

and could bless Him verse by verse for hav- 
ing led me on to much more definite conse- 
cration than even when I wrote it, voice, 
gold, intellect, etc. But the eleventh coup- 
let, 'love,' — that has been unconsciously not 
filled up. Somehow, I felt mystified and out 
of my depth here : it was a simple and defi- 
nite thing to be done, to settle the voice, or 
silver and gold! but 'love'? I have to love 
others, and I do ; and I've not a small treas- 
ure of it, and even loving in Him docs not 
quite meet the inner difficulty. Of course, 
I told Him all that was in my heart as far 
down as ever I knew it myself, and that He 
knew the rest, and so I could only hand over 
the whole concern to Him, and implore Him 
to make it clear and definite. I don't see 
much clearer, or feel' much different ; but I 
have said intensely this morning, ' Take my 
love,' and He knows I have. So I did not lid- 
get any more, or worry the Master any 
more about it. I shall just go forward and ex- 
pect Him to fill it up, and let my life from 
this day answer really to that couplet. The 
worst part to me is that I don't in practice 
prove my love to Him, by delight in much 
and long communion with Him ; hands and 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 173 

head seem so full of ' other things,' (which 
yet are His given work,) that ' heart' seems 
not 'free to serve' in fresh and vivid love." 

I have just read, with great care and profit, 
the last book that Miss Frances wrote, 
" Kept for the Master's Use." It is full of 
rich spiritual food, and contains her matured 
thoughts of the intensity of meaning included 
in her "Consecration Hymn," beginning 
with 

" ; Take my life and let it be 
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee." 

I will give my reader the benefit of her 
teachings and experience on 

" Take my silver and my gold. 
Not a mite would I withhold." 

" 'The silver and the gold are mine, saith 
the Lord of Hosts.' Yes, every coin we 
have is literally our 'Lord's money.' Sim- 
ple belief of this fact is the stepping-stone 
to full consecration of what He has given us, 
whether much or little. 

' ' Then you mean to say we are never to 
spend any thing on ourselves? Not so. 
Another fact must be considered, — the fact 



174 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

that our Lord has given us our bodies as a 
special personal charge ; and the responsibil- 
ity of keeping these bodies according to the 
means given and the work required, in work- 
ing order for Him. This is part of our ' own 
work.' A master entrusts a workman with 
a delicate machine, with which his appointed 
work is to be done. He also provides him 
with a sum of money, with which he is to 
procure all that may lie necessary for keeping 
the machine in thorough repair. Is it not 
obvious that it is the man's distinct duty to 
see to this faithfully ? would he not be fail- 
ing in duty if he spent it all on something, 
for somebody else's work, or on a present 
for his master, while the machine is creaking 
and wearing for want of a little oil, or work- 
ing badly for the want of a new band or 
screw? Just so we are to spend what is 
really needful on ourselves, because we arc 
not our own, but our Master's. He who 
knoweth our frame, knows its needs of rest 
and medicine, food and clothing; and the 
procuring of these for our own entrusted 
bodies should be done just as much 'for Jesus' 
as the greater pleasure of procuring them for 
some one else. Therefore there need be no 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 175 

quibbling over the assertion that consecration 
is not real and complete while we are look- 
ing upon a single shilling as our own, to do 
what we like with. Also, the principle is 
exactly the same whether we are spending 
pence or pounds ; it is our Lord's money, and 
must not be spent without reference to Him. 

"When we have asked Him to take, and 
continually trust Him to keep our money, 
* shopping' becomes a different thing. We 
look up to our Lord for guidance to lay out 
His money prudently and rightly, and as He 
would have us lay it out. The gift or gar- 
ment is selected under His eye, and with 
concions reference to Him as our dear 
Master, for whose sake we shall give it, or 
in whose service we shall wear it, and whose 
own silver or gold we shall pay for it, and 
then it is all right. 

"There is always a danger that just 
because we say * all ' we may practically fall 
shorter than if we had said ' some,' but said 
it very definitely. God recognises this, and 
provides against it in many departments. For 
instance, though our time is to be 'all' for 
Him, yet He solemnly sets apart the one day 
in seven which is to be especially for Him. 



17() FRANCES R. 1IAVE11GAL. 

So as to our money, though we place it all 
at the Lord's disposal and rejoice to spend it 
all for Him directly or indirectly. Yet I am 
quite certain it is a great help and a safe- 
guard, and, what is more, a matter of simple 
obedience to the spirit of His commands, to 
set aside a definite and regular proportion of 
our income for His direct service. It is a 
great mistake to suppose that the law of giv- 
ing the tenth to God is merely Levitical. 
'Search and look' for yourselves, and you 
will find that it is, like the Sabbath, a far 
older rule, running all through the Bible, 
and endorsed, not abrogated, by Christ Him- 
self. For speaking of tithes, He said, 
'These ought ye to have done, and not to 
leave the other undone. " To dedicate the 
tenth of whatever we have is mere duty; 
charity begins beyond it; free-will offerings 
and thank offerings beyond that again. First 
fruits, also, should thus specially be set 
apart. This, too, we find running all through 
the Bible. There is a tacit appeal to our 
gratitude in the suggestion, of them — the 
very word implies bounty received and 
bounty in prospect. Bringing * the first 
fruits into the house of the Lord thy God,' 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 177 

was like ' saying grace ' for all the plenty that 
He was go-ins: to bestow on the faithful Isre- 
alite. Something of gladness, too, seems 
always implied. The day of the first fruits 
was to be a day of rejoicing : compare Num. 
xxviii. 26 with Deut. xvi. 10. There is also 
an appeal to loyalty : we are to honor the 
Lord with the first fruits of all our increase. 
And that is the way to prosper, for the next 
word is < So shall thy barns be filled with 
plenty.'" 

Presenting our first fruits should be a pe- 
culiarly delightful act, as they are themselves 
the emblem of our consecrated relation to 
God. For of His own will begat He us by 
the word of truth, that we should be a kind 
of first fruits of His creatures. How sweet 
and hallowed and richly emblematic our little 
acts of obedience in this matter become, 
when we throw this light upon them ! And 
how blessedly they may remind us of the 
Heavenly company, singing, as it were a new 
song before the throne ; for they are the first 
fruits unto God and the Lamb. 

'What about self-denial'? some reader 
will say. Consecration does not supersede 



178 FRANCES R. IIAVEEGAL. 

this, but transfigures it. Literally a conse- 
crated life is and must be a life of self-de- 
nial. But all the effort and pain of it are 
changed into very delight. We love our 
Master ; we know surely and absolutely that 
He is listening and watching our every word 
and way, and that He has called us to the 
privilege of walking ' worthy of the Lord 
unto all pleasing.' And in so far as this is a 
reality to us, the identical things which are 
still self-denial in one sense, become actual 
self-delight in another. 

It is important to remember that there is 
no much or little in God's sight, except as 
relatively to our means and willingness. 
* For if there be first a willing mind, it is ac- 
cepted according to wdiat a man hath, and not 
according to what a man hath not.' 

I do not see at all how self-indulgence and 
needless extravagance can possibly co-exist 
with true consecration. If we never go icifh- 
out anything for the Lord's sake, but, just 
because He has graciously given us means, 
always supply for ourselves not only every 
need but ' every notion,' I think it is high 
time we looked into the matter before God. 



A SKETCH OF HER LITE. 179 



CHAPTER XIV. 

TEMPERANCE 

LABORS. — TRIUMPHAL RIDE. LAST 

SICKNESS. GLORIOUS DEATH. 

BURIAL . IN MEMORI AM . 

" From the great anthems of the Crystal Sea, 
Through the far vistas of eternity, 
Grand echoes of the world peal on for Thee, 
Sweetest and fullest : Most blessed for ever." 

Jesus said "He that believeth on me as 
the scripture hath said, out of his belly 
shall flow rivers of living water. But this 
spake He of the Spirit, which they that 
believe in Him should receive." That is, he 
shall have such a fulness of God in his soul, 
that rivers of divine influence shall flow out 
from him to bless this sin-cursed world. 

Miss Frances was a true sample of this, 
for in addition to all her other labors she took 



180 FRANCES R. IIAVERGAL. 

the deepest interest in the Temperance Cause. 
Mark the following written about a month 
before she died : — 

"May i, 1879. 

" . . . I haven't taken up teetotal work, 
but teetotal work has taken up me ! Mor- 
gan and Scott made me accept a big, hand- 
some, pledge book in February, and somehow 
the thing has fairly caught fire here. One led 
to another, and yesterday boys were coming 
all day to sign ! I had twenty -five recruits 
yesterday alone, and a whole squad more 
are coming this evening ! and we are going 
in for getting every boy in the whole village ! 
And now, 'Please, miss, mayn't the girls 
sign ? ' So I've got to open a girls' branch 
as well ! So work grows ! 

"I adopt the title of 'The Newton Tem- 
perance Regiment,' to please my boys, who 
are a strong majority in it, and very hearty 
about it. I do love these little lads." 

She pushed this temperance cause till she 
got nearly the whole rising generation of the 
village to sign the pledge. She wrote among 
her last pencilings, — "My lads are splendid, 
they have such hearty enthusiasm about it." 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 181 

This was when she was too weak to attend 
to her letters. I fear good people often have 
more zeal than wisdom : I think that Satan 
when he cannot discourage us will push us 
forward with so much ardor as to terminate 
— before the time — our earthly career. If 
we violate the laws of nature we must pay 
the penalty and take the consequences. Her 
temperance labors helped to terminate her 
days. She wrote to Mr. Snepp, May 17, 
1879: — 

"I begin my Irish campaign, please God, 
on June 4th. (She died June 3rd.) I stay 
first with the good Bishop of Cash el. Really 
a wonderful little temperance work here ; all 
the rising generation have joined the pledge 
except about twelve, and now the men want 
to speak to me, and I am to meet them to- 
night at the corner of the village (open air, 
having no place else) with my pledge book. 
I have got 118 pledged, and each with prayer 
over it, and personal talk about better things. 
In haste, etc., etc." 

This shows her zeal and calculations to 
labor. She met the men and boys on the 



182 FRANCES R. HAYERGAL. 

village bank, May 21, with her Bible and tem- 
perance book. It was a very damp clay, and 
she stood a long time in this cold spol ; 
heavy clouds came up from the Channel. 
She returned wet and chilly with mist and 
rain. Even then some were waiting for her 
to speak to them. She took a fatal cold. 

The next day being Ascension Day she 
desired to attend •church. Being so poorly 
she was persuaded to come to the Commu- 
nion only. Being very tired she took a don- 
key-ride home. Quite a procession gathered 
around her, her regiment of boys eagerly 
listening. Her donkey-boy, Fred, remem- 
bers what Miss Frances told him. "I had 
better leave the devil's side and get on the 
safe 1 side ; that Jesus Christ's was the winning 
side : that lie loved us and was calling us, 
and wouldn't I choose Him for my Captain?" 

Arriving at home Frances ran in for her 
book, and on the saddle Fred signed the 
pledge. This was the last time her feet were 

u Swift and beautiful for Thee." 

As Jesus rode in triumph into Jerusalem 
just before He was crucified: so this hum- 



A SKETCH OF TIER LIFE. 183 

blc follower of the Lamb, rode in triumph 
through this village just before she lay down 
to die. 

Marie writes : — 

"May 2$rd. 

" The chilliness increased ; and though she 
was in her study* as usual, I requested the 
doctor to see my dear sister, and desired him 
to come again. The Temperance meeting was 
to be held in the evening, and my sister ar- 
ranged 150 large Temperance cards, then to 
be given. Very cheerfully she gave up the 
wish to go, saying (so like her /) 'Yon will 
do all so much better than I can ; will 
you give them, two messages from me : to 
those who have signed, " Behold God Him- 
self is . . . our Captain" (2 Chron. xiii. 
12) ; to those who have not signed, "Come 
thou with us, and we will do thee good "(Num. 
x. 29). Our Vicar and Mr. Bishop, from 
Swansea, were to be present ; and to them 
she sent her good wishes and request for 
bright short addresses. While we were at 
the meeting, she was stitching strong paper 
tract-bags for sailors at sea, till she felt ill 
and Mary assisted her into her room. A 
feverish night ensued. 



184 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

Miss Frances writes to : — 

" May, 24. 
"Dear Mr. Watson, — 

"lam in bed again with another of these 
tryingly frequent feverish attacks, and am 
writing on the back of your own letter, not 
having other paper within reach ! 

"The fact is, I have knocked myself up 
with this temperance work ; but having got 
the whole rising generation of the village 
into my temperance regiment, except four 
naughty little black sheep, seems to me quite 
worth being knocked up for !" 

May 26 she corrected the proof of "Morn- 
ing Stars," then her hand laid down the pen 
that had written so much for her Heavenly 
King. She was in great pain and surprised 
the doctor by asking * ' Do you think I have 
a chance of going " ? He told her she was 
not seriously ill. This shows how ready she 
was for the first opportunity to exchange 
earth for Heaven. 

Marie testifies as follows : — 

"The last passage she looked at in her 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 185 

Bible was the Christian Progress chapter for 
May 28th (Rev. ii. 1-10). She asked Mary 
to read it for her, dwelling on 'Be thou 
faithful unto death, and I will give thee a 
crown of life,' bidding her turn to the refer- 
ence in James i. 12. 

(It is remarkable that the same promise of 
« the crown of life ' was the last passage our 
dear father ever read.) 

"May 29th. Fever and internal inflam- 
mation rapidly came on, and all the symp- 
toms and agony of peritonitis. God seemed 
to permit severest suffering, and all remedies 
failed. But her peace and joy shone through 
it all, while her. patience and unselfish con- 
sideration for others were most striking, 
arranging that all who nursed her should rest 
also. When we were distressed for her, she 
whispered, « It's home +Le faster ! ' She told 
Mary she was quite sure now she should 
never go to Ireland, adding, ' God's will is 
delicious ; He makes no mistakes.' Our good 
Mary was a great comfort at all times. 

"'May 30th. She was speaking of justifi- 
cation by faith : ' Not for our own works or 
deservings ; oh, what vanity it seems now to 
rest on our own obedience for salvation, anv 



186 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

merit of our own takes away the glory of 
the atoning blood. "Unto Him that loved 
us, and washed us from our sins in His own 
blood," that's it: 

' ' M. ' Have you any fear ? ' 

' ' F. < \Yhy should I ? Jesus said < * It is 
finished," and what was His precious blood 
shed for? I trust that: 

"Another time: 'I am sure "I am not 
worthy to be called His son," or His servant, 
but Jesus covers all ; I am unworthy but in 
Him complete.' 

"The last letter she could listen to was 
from my brother Frank's twin sons, and her 
message was: 'Thank Willie for that nice 
text, "Sorrow may endure for a night, but 
joy cometh in the morning"; and I do hope 
that AVillie and Ethelbert will be ambassa- 
dors for Christ ; even if they are not clergy- 
men, may they win souls.' 

"To her sister Ellen : ' I have not strength 
to send messages to yours. I should have 
liked my death to be like Samson's, doing 
more for God's glory than by my life ; but 
He wills it otherwise.' 

"Mien. « St. Paul said " The will of the 
Lord be done," and " let Christ be niagni- 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 187 

fiecl, whether by my life or by my death." ' 
' < I think it was then my beloved sister 
whispered : ' Let my own text, " The blood 
of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from 
all sin" be on my tomb: all the verse, if 
there is room." 

She said to her sister "I do not know 
what God means by it, but, no new thoughts 
for poems or books come to me now." At 
another time she said, " Spite the breakers 
Marie, Jam so happy-, God's promises are 
so true. Not a fear." When the doctor bid 
her good bye, and told her that he really 
thought that she was going, she said, "Beau- 
tiful, too good to be true! Splendid to be so 
near the gate of Heaven ! So beautiful to 
go!" 

The Vicar of Swansea said to her * ' You 
have talked and written a good deal about 
the King, and you will soon see Him in His 
beauty. Is Jesus with you now?" 

* * Of course," she replied, ' ' It is splendid ! 
I thought he would have left me here a long 
while; but he is so good to take me now." 
At another time she said " Oh, I want all of 
you to speak bright, bright, words about 



188 FKANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

Jesus, oh, do, do! It is all perfect peace, 

I aiu only waiting for Jesus to take me in. " 

Afterward she sang the following stanza : — 

" Jesus I will trust Thee, 
Trust Thee with my soul : 
Guilty, lost and helpless, 

Thou hast made ine whole : 
There is none in Heaven, 
1 Or on earth like Thee : 
Thou hast died for sinners, 
Thou hast died for me." 



The parting scene is graphically described 
as follows : — 

* * There came a terrible rush of convulsive 
sickness ; it ceased, the nurse gently assist- 
ing her. She nestled down in the pillows, 
folded her hands on her breast, saving 
'There, now it's all over. Blessed rest' ! 

' ' And now she looked up steadfastly as if 
she saw the Lord ; and, surely, nothing less 
heavenly could have reflected such a glorious 
radiance upon her face. For ten minutes, 
we watched that almost visible meeting with 
her King, and her countenance was so glad, 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 189 

as if she were already talking to Him. Then 
she tried to sin 2 ; but after one sweet high 

note, "HE ," her voice failed; and, as 

her brother commended her soul into her 
Redeemer's hand, she passed away. Our 
precious sister was gone, — satisfied, — glori- 
fied, — within the palace of her King ! 

. . . " So she took . . . 
The one grand step, beyond the stars of God, 
Into the splendor, shadowless and broad, 
Into the everlasting. joy and light. 
The zenith of the earthly life was come. 
What then? Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard ! 
Wait till thou too hast fought the noble strife, 
And won, through Jesus Christ, the crown of life! 
Tlien shalt thou know the glory of the word, 
Then as the stars for ever, ever shine, 
Beneath the King's own smile, perpetual zenith thine !" 



Marie gives the following account of the 
funeral : — 



"On Monday, June 9th, at 6 a.m., the 
villagers and others assembled on the lawn 
while her flower-crowned coffin passed out. 
The Rev. S. C. Morgan, Vicar of Swansea, 
addressed them after we had left for Wor- 
cestershire. 



190 FRANCES R. HAVERGAL. 

"Many relatives and friends joined us at 
Stourport, following our beloved sister to 
her father's tomb in Astley churchyard. A 
golden star, of Banksia roses, a poet's wreath 
of laurel and bay, and many white crowns, 
were laid upon her. There, within sight of 
her birth-room in the rectory, and under the 
branches of the fir tree her father planted, 
(and, away beyond, the hills and valleys of 
her childhood's haunts encircling us,) we laid 
our dear sister in sure and certain hope of 
her * resurrection to eternal life.' 

"The following is the inscription, on the 
north side of our dear father's tomb in Ast- 
ley churchyard :" — « 

FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL, 

Youngest Daughter of the Rev. W. H. 
Haveugal and Jane his Wife. 

Born at Astley Rectory, 14th Dec., 183G. Died at Cas- 
well Bay, in Swansea, 3rd June, 1879 Aged 42. 

By her writings in prose and verse, she, " being dead 
yet speaketn." 



" The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from 
all sin. — i. John i. 7. 



A SKETCH OF HER LIFE. 191 

" God's singer ! In a land 
Of alien thought and language thou didst sing 
The songs of Zion ; now before thy King 
Blest singer, thou dost stand ! 

Thine earthly singing o'er — 
Thy singing sweet, and strong, and glad, and wise — 
Thou art, among the choir of paradise, 

A singer evermore ! " 

Many pages might be filled with reviews 
and eulogies from English and American 
sources ; quite a hundred may be given from 
America alone. A flood of sorrow swept 
over many hearts that had so long loved the 
sweet gushings of her poetic nature. 

It was thought best to raise a Memorial 
Fund to be called "The Frances Eidley 
Havergal Missionary Fund." Some twelve 
thousand contributors gave £1,900, to be ex- 
pended in the training of native Bible women ; 
and in the translation and circulation in India 
of suitable portions of her many books. 
Who can tell the good that will be done by 
this godly measure ? 



I select the following from among the 
many tributes of remembrance : — 



192 FRANCES It. IIAVERGAL. 




In Memoriam. 
FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL. 

F arewell, fond spirit, bright before the throne, 

R adiant thy robe, transfigured like the sun; 

A ngel of song, with harp and heart and voice, 

N car the bright Seraphim of God rejoice; 

C ould we but see thee in thy "palace" fair, 

E ver with God, His glory now to share, 

S hould we not sing our loudest chorus there? 

R est thee, dear soul, thy toils and trials o'er, 
I n Heaven is rest, for pilgrims evermore; 
D oath take- the body out of mortal sight, 
L ife lifts the spirit into Heaven's own light; 
Ever with God, thy fathers' God, to be, 

Y outh without age, a bright Eternity. 

H ark! 'tis a song, as never sung before; 
Anthem more sweet, from yon bright happy shore ; 

V oice ever thrilling, singing now above, 
E ndless its praises of the Father's love.. 
Rest, aching head! for after toil is rest; 

G od takes thee home — home to thy Father's breast, 
A 11 weary pain and travel of the road 
Lost in the light and glory of thy God! 

Robert Maguire, D. D. 


























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